I’m still reading Gary Larson’s The Devil in the White City. The further I get into this book, the more interested I am to hear what happens next, especially when it comes to Holmes. The text still follows a similar format, jumping between focuses. One chapter will be focused on the World’s Fair head architect, Daniel Burnham, and the next will be focused on H.H. Holmes, the notorious serial killer, and so on. At this point in the book a new protagonist has emerged as well, one George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. the inventor of the ferris wheel. The attraction was first created for the Columbian Exposition, and Larson expands on the trials and tribulations involved, intertwining ferris’s story with that of Burnham. While closer to the beginning of the book, the chapter focuses seemed rather disjointed, as it’s progressed, Larson shows us how Holmes’s actions intertwine with those of Burnham and Ferris. More than that, the contrast between the visionary idealistic architects and the undeniably sociopathic serial killer makes for a very interesting dynamic. With such vastly different characters, Larson not only relates a historical tale, but also explores the human psyche and in fact, what it means to be human.
On the one hand, you have Daniel Burnham, a man with so much vision he was able to pull off something that no one had ever seen before, a leader of both technological and cultural advancement. On the other is a man some would not even consider human at all, as he possesses none of the emotion or empathy to be considered such. Two very different sides of humanity juxtaposed against each other. That kept in mind, I’ve begun to realize that the real protagonist in Larson’s text is humanity as a whole. I can’t wait to finish the book and find out what happens next; again, if you’re reading this and haven’t checked out this book, I suggest you do so.
I know a lot of people who have read this and say that they love it! Isn't it also true or at least mostly true? I love when authors flip back and forth between characters' perspectives, it makes the story so much more rich and engaging. I like how you identified the overall exploration of what it means to be human; that's super interesting. I love when the author pulls some crazy moves and makes the reader think on a whole other level.
ReplyDeleteThe juxtaposition between Burnham and Holmes that you mentioned in this book is pretty cool. It's such an interesting dynamic: serial killer and architect. I just finished reading Columbine which talked about the two killers and how they juxtaposed from each other. One of the killers was sociopathic, while the other was simply depressed and suicidal. It was very interesting to see how the two interacted before and during the massacre at Columbine High School.
The dynamic between the killer's aesthetics and the architect's sounds very interesting. This book seems like it has a whole lot going on! What made you want to read The Devil in the White City anyway? Did you know that it was going to be packed with all these different juxtapositions and such?
Overall this story sounds pretty cool, I think that perhaps I will take a gander.
I've heard so many great things about this book, and I can understand why. The story itself seems so complex, it's interesting what choices the author makes when telling it. I'm curious as to what an architect and a serial killer have in common, and how these two characters will interact, if ever. What I would like to hear more about is your thoughts from a writing standpoint, what is Larson's language like? Does he tell the story in the language of the time period or is he telling it like it's already happened? I think especially in historical pieces, it's interesting to pick apart how the author speaks and how he brings his characters to life. I can't wait to read more about this book! I think your enjoyment of it will keep others interested as well, I'm pretty interested in picking up the book myself after reading this!
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