2 posts tagged “reading list”
The larger part of the book is about the creation of the fair, the great personal stake that the country and particularly Chicago had invested in the fair's success, how it seemed an impossible enterprise cursed with setback after setback, and of Burnham and his team of the nation's most reputable architects and engineers, many of whom made great personal sacrifices for the fair's success. Larson does a great job of telling the tale of the fair and how magical and wondrous the fair was to its visitors, depicting a vision of what a great and beautiful city could be.
Juxtaposed against the wonders of the fair is the story of Dr. H.H. Holmes, who under cover of the fair led several victims - mostly young women - to grisly deaths. I found this section to be less satisfying and that it did not fit well with the story of the fair - as if Larson were torn between writing about the fair and writing about Holmes. In addition, there were a few - albeit minor - details which seemed more imagined for dramatic effect than researched, such as how white and crisp Holmes' suit was during a hot and humid summer day through the blackened, smog-filled streets of Chicago or what thoughts raced through the minds of certain of his victims in their final moments. I love nonfiction books which can breathe life and color into historical figures and events, but I get annoyed when authors take license but don't quite admit it. The overall events are true, but I disliked the dramatic ornamentation because the real events - such as how he laid the groundwork for his work and what he did with his victims - are lurid enough on their own. As it was, I didn't think Holmes played an integral part of the fair or that he was particularly influenced by it although he did take advantage of it to suit his particular ends.
Overall, it was a fun and entertaining read and very informative. Although I did learn about the fair in history class, lecture never quite conveyed what a singular and striking event it was and how it played in the national consciousness. Larson conveys well how impossible a task the fair was to conceive and build, how glittering and marvelous it was while it lasted, and of the many great things that came to be because of it.
The New York Times posted the editor's picks for the 10 Best Books of 2006. Alas, I haven't read any of them. This is what I read instead:
And I hoped to have read so many more books. Of them all, I would pick Gilead as my top pick from the bunch because it was the most special --- thoughtful, meditative even, and a little different from the usual novel.
