A graphic panoramic view of elaborate ambition, obsession and murder in the Gilded Age This was my first Audible book and what an experience it has turned out to be. I do admit though I wasn’t entirely ready to travel back to 1893 Chicago with just my headphones. I also picked up a trusty hardback copy from my local library and followed along with the narrator who had an inviting voice that quite nicely captured this listener’s attention and the stories of the origin and construction of the World's Columbian Exposition and the truly disturbing and yet spellbinding tale of a psychopath who lurked in the shadowed corners of the bright lights of the Fair. All I can say after finishing is that, I have waited far too long to sit down with The Devil in the White City. With an opening onboard the RMS Olympic in April 1912 and mentions of the RMS Titanic and her final hours; I first settled myself in with a contented smile. It was becoming clear why so many recommendations for this work kept appearing on my lists; interest after interest appeared in these duel narratives in the beginning and I just knew I would fully love this book. As the coupled narratives continued though I noticed that a lot of this work was dedicated to the conception and execution of the World’s Fair and little about Dr. H. H. Holmes (infamous alias of Herman Webster Mudgett) - the real reason I wanted to sit down with this title. No matter I told myself, it will get better there is a reason they call it THE DEVIL in the White City and see there is another (short) chapter about the insidious serial killer and an unsuspecting victim (and then we come back to long chapters on the Fair). This happened throughout and although I became completely entranced by The Devil in the White City by the ending, I’m a little ashamed to admit I almost stopped listening a few times due to the over tedious parts/storyline of the World’s Fair. I wasn’t prepared for this surprising overbalancing narrative choice to focus so much on the World’s Columbian Exposition. Patience was the key to unlocking the underlying sinister doors of The Devil in the White City. The final chapters were chilling, graphic and downright unsettling. Truly not for the faint-hearted and I could see why it was put in the book last (giving the audience a chance to look away at the last possible moment). I have to admit before the final chapters I was ready to quit and give this work an appreciative but solid shove back to the shelves with a low rating but wow what an ending. This whole book was almost like you could dissect these storylines and read about the two sides of Chicago and the Gilded Age of America, I guess it all came down to lady’s choice and I prefer a darker look at the Gilded Age and The Devil in the White City was worth the wait. I now eagerly look forward to the cinematic adaptation of this narrative. -Audible book and followed along with hardback from local library/ June 2015 Comments are closed.
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