Erik Larson

Listen, I know it’s a bit late, but I’m finally getting back to you on those book recommendations. I just finished reading a novel called The Devil in the White City, and I’m pretty sure that you would find it quite interesting. The book is set around the time of the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 and follows the parallel paths of Daniel Burnham, the fair’s architect, and H. H. Holmes, a prolific serial killer who used the fair’s magnetic allure to find his victims. Burnham’s storyline is about…

The Devil in the White City is a nonfiction book that is divided into four different parts. The last part takes the reader into two perspectives. One perspective is of Daniel Burnham who was the architect that built the 1893 Chicago’s World Fair. The book describes of the obstacles that Daniel and his partner John Root had to overcome. These obstacles include the two of them having to figure out an attraction more spectacular than the Eiffel Tower. Also, Daniel was left building the fair by…

In Larson’s book The Devil in the White City, Larson portrays Jackson Park, the location of the Chicago World’s Fair, in different ways, based on the characters’ knowledge of the park. He uses three characters’ quotes and thoughts to give the reader an image of the park: Olmsted, Burnham, and the east coast architects. The image he gives the reader is never perfect, but the first impression he gives the reader is acceptable. At first, Larson describes Jackson Park as a place that may not have…

Propaganda in “The Jungle” The Jungle by Upton Sinclair is a novel exploiting the lives of Lithuanian immigrants in Chicago during the Industrial Revolution of the early 19th century. The immigrants have a goal of achieving the American dream, and as the story goes on they are faced with the horrors of the meat packing industry. Upton Sinclair is a yellow journalist and muckraker during the progressive era, therefore the story is bound to have exaggeration in order for him to succeed in…

In the nonfiction book In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson, a historian becomes an ambassador in the key formational years of 1933-1937 in Hitler’s regime. He has many opponents but he stands strong to his Jeffersonian beliefs. His daughter comes along and those two are the center of the story. To begin with, the story starts with Dodd, a University of Chicago professor. He becomes an ambassador in Berlin after many others turned the…

Extended Essay English Language and Literature “To what extent did The Velvet Underground & Nico's 'Banana album' relate the social, political and cultural landscape of its time and how?” Arthur Vandervoort: (Candidate Number) Supervisor: Jonathan Jones Session: May 2015 Word Count: Citation Style: Chicago Abstract: Table of Contents Page 1 Title Page 2 Abstract 3 Table of Contents 4 Introduction 5 “Not since the Titanic ran into that iceberg has there been such a collision as…

There are plenty great books that can be read about Chicago’s World’s Fair. But, one that stands out the most is the devil in the White City written by Erik Larson. This novel gives the reader a feeling as if he or she is reading two different stories but in the same book. The novel explains how the World’s fair became what it was and how it affected some people’s lives. This book gives all types of different readers a chance to enjoy the same book for a variety of reasons. Whether it be a…

details to come and paves the way for good and evil. The author, Erik Larson, describes Chicago, a big, chaotic city, as a place where one could easily disappear. It was a place where anything could happen; a person standing on the street could get hit by a car. It was a very good place for H.H. Holes to carry out all his devious plans because he knew that all his actions would be overlooked. It is also interesting to note that as Larson officially introduces Holmes’ character into…

finally reached the end. This book, like many other Erik Larson books I have read, have not ceased to amaze me. I have read the book “Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson before. That book was an absolute blast and gave me high expectations for this one. When I went to the library to check this book out, the librarian heavily praised the book which also gave me a positive outlook as I read it. I truly believe while writing this book, Mr. Larson wanted to create a piece of historical…

lighting rigs have not yet dimmed. All at once, the stage erupts with cast members running in-between and out of the industrial themed set, a strum of a guitar is heard and a critically acclaimed overnight sensation is born in the image of Jonathon Larson. Adapted from the popular opera La Bohème, Rent the musical was created in the hopes of representing the minute bohemian culture of New York City at the end of the 20 century who were confronted with impoverishment, HIV and homosexuality. Going…