the devil in the white city by erik larson

The shooting is described obliquely, and is not traumatic. The mayor is shot and killed by a seemingly random person who turns himself in. There are a number of fights mentioned, and there exists a club that glorifies violence. In his confession, the killer states that he was possessed by the devil, and was therefore not responsible for his actions.Īs one of the main characters is a killer, there is a large amount of the violence. Christianity is the accepted standard for most people, but religion itself is largely a non-issue in the narrative.Īfter the murderer's execution there are a number of unexplained deaths linked to his case that some believe correlate to demon possession, or some form of supernatural influence. There is very little mention of spirituality except as it plays into the politics of the time and the peculiar circumstances surrounding the serial killer. The murderer is described as being without conscience, and a psychopath, and no actions of his are condoned in any way. Most of the architects are fairly upright, and any transgressions they commit are understood to be immoral. The chapters alternate between the main architect responsible for the fair and the killer, telling their separate stories on the similar background of the World's Fair.Īs a factual account of real events, all the players are represented as they are, full of faults. The Devil in the White City is the story of the planning and creation of the 1893 Colombian World's Fair in Chicago, and a serial killer who lived in the city at that time. The Devil in the White City by Erik LarsonĪn excellent read, but with a lot of violent content.

The devil in the white city by erik larson