Eric Larsen’s masterful novel, Devil in the White City, is an amazingly enthralling double story. Much more interesting than our previous novel, The Pit, Larsen’s story has a detailed plot that effectively alternates between Burnham’s construction of the Columbian World Exposition, and HH Holmes surreptitious and, so far, incomprehensible movement through the Chicago environment. What makes the novel especially enjoyable is the evidence of research into the actual events, creating a very real environment through which the characters navigate; developing, early on, a visual roadmap of the two distinct stories, but also how the main characters’ paths will eventually intersect. An interesting observation in the novel is the interpretation of Chicago itself as an entity of higher cognition, or mechanical order; that is, more than an agglomeration of a biotic brick, mortar and steel. The city itself is a place where “vanishment seemed a pastime” and nothing was wasted (Larson 102-103). This reinforces the mystique of Chicago and makes it even more alluring not only to continue reading, but also encourage the flood of young women and ambitious young men into its clutches. Like its interpretation in The Pit, there is a clear assertion that Chicago is an ordered being like any human.
Interestingly, there is no attempt in either novel to hide the inherent danger of venturing into the “White City”; which, to me, is only an accurate description to the extent of the illumination by electric lamps. The “Devil” in the White city belies the fact that the city is much more dark and sinister and, in reality, a very appropriate home for such a character as HH Holmes and his murderous tendencies. This is supported by the ease with which Holmes is able to systematically eliminate all obstacles incarnate, and explain their disappearances as simple, permanent, relocations. Initially, I envisioned a novel detailing the Chicago Columbian Exposition as a monotonous history lesson. I have since reformed my perspective and now realize the significance of the exposition and the murderous events, but also the astounding interconnectedness of the plot to many events across the world during an era with which I am especially interested.
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I saw the same thing in the novel too; that Larson's narrative escalates Chicago as something more than a mere city. He almost personifies it to the level of it bcoming a living being. I hadn't really put much thought into the interconnectedness of everything within the novel, but after you mentioned it in you blog I now see just how many things both little and large are linked.
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