...the Devil went down to Georgia....he was looking for a soul to steal....

Greetings all! Hope your week is going as swimmingly as mine is. Bibi and I are enjoying--no, not enduring--ENJOYING--our A/C-less summer in Kirksville. (Ok, so maybe today it was a bit warm, and last night we both woke up numerous times because of the heat, but still...it's not so bad for us....)

I need to tell you all about this book that I'm reading...."The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson. It is an historical nonfiction novel about the construction and events surrounding the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. It's a combination of history, culture, economics, politics, and crime novel.

First off, the book is really well written. It seems very conversational, and is extremely fast paced. The chapters alternate between two storylines that are equally interesting. (The first being the construction and execution of the fair, and the second is about our countries 1st serial killer)

The thing about this book, besides being well written, besides it's captivating narrative, besides the lush descriptions and direct quotations from actual people invovled in the events, is the nature of the fair itself.

The years 1892 and 1893 do not automatically bring to mind any particular events. No individuals immediately come the front of my imagination, and I don't remember automatically any particular inventions or note-worthy creations from that time period. However, the fair was one of those, almost cinematic events, that naturally draws people and ideas to one place and time. Reading this book is like watching a really well-written movie come together....seemingly isolated characters and events are seen in a new light, when the film shows that they are all indeed closely related. That's what the 1893 World's Fair was like; it was a mingling of the past, and the future. (I'm being purposefully vague because half of the fun in this book is finding things out as Larson wants you to find them out.)

So, I guess that's all I've got right now, but seriously....go read this book.

Now!

No, go....get it.

I don't care where you get it...just go get it.


I'll wait.










Well, now you're just trying my patience. I'm very dissappointed in you. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Well, fine. I'm leaving...but seriously....go get yourself a copy.

Oh, and anyone know of any other books that bring together so many aspects of history?

Thanks for stopping by...

Tommy