reading
I'm currently finishing up Erik Larson's Devil in the White City and I'm conflicted. I read his fifth book first (Thunderstruck) and was captivated by the two tales that would eventually merge at the end of the book, however, the climax was lame. Both stories were good and Larson painted a thorough picture of their timeframe, but how their fates crossed paths was stretching it.
I'm three quarters through Devil in the City and wished I had read it first as it is written in the same structure as Thunderstruck. The storyline that follows prominent architect Burnham's quest to pull together the building of the 1893's Chicago World's Fair in less than three years is amazing and would have made an incredible book on its own. The true crime story about Holmes, possibly America's first serial killer, is also interesting, but not something I would ever buy and read. I find myself breezing through the Holmes chapters and taking my time reading the Burnham chapters.
In both books (or is it four books) Larson brings to life a clear image of late 19th century and early 20th century history in America and Europe. Larson also wrote Isaac's Storm about the 1900 Galveston flood. No murderers listed in the summary (besides the storm that killed 6,000) so I may give it a shot.
I'm three quarters through Devil in the City and wished I had read it first as it is written in the same structure as Thunderstruck. The storyline that follows prominent architect Burnham's quest to pull together the building of the 1893's Chicago World's Fair in less than three years is amazing and would have made an incredible book on its own. The true crime story about Holmes, possibly America's first serial killer, is also interesting, but not something I would ever buy and read. I find myself breezing through the Holmes chapters and taking my time reading the Burnham chapters.
In both books (or is it four books) Larson brings to life a clear image of late 19th century and early 20th century history in America and Europe. Larson also wrote Isaac's Storm about the 1900 Galveston flood. No murderers listed in the summary (besides the storm that killed 6,000) so I may give it a shot.
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