Thursday, September 22, 2016

Devil In The White City -Erik Larson

Some friends and I go together and started a book club. I have the habit of reading the same genre of books and not branching out like I should and so I thought a book club would give me ample motivation plus it it a marvelous excuse to talk about books. 
The book for September was Devil In The White City, a historical non-fiction, took place during 1890's in Chicago.
I have to admit, I have never read a book like this before and I have no regrets. Not only was I captured by the story but I was learning so many things about the history of my country. 
It is written like a novel, and there are quotes throughout the book signifying all the references to his sources. 
It follows two story lines: a prominent architect building the city up to glory, and a serial killer ruining the its prestige through manipulation and murder.
The architect had to deal with the government and different workers union on a time crunch for his project that had an effect on history. It is interesting to note that Chicago is not know today as the white city, and I will allow you to make your own conclusions for yourself. 
This serial killer occurs slightly after the debacle of Jack the Ripper in London who was never caught and everyone thought there was no way it could happen to them. It was also very enlightening as a women to see the tactics used by the serial  killer to seduce unsuspecting women to their demise. It was fascinating to observe his character and compare it with what we know today about psychopaths. But I will let you come to your own conclusions.  

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