The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson | Summary & Analysis Preview: The Devil in the White City is a book by Erik Larson that takes a close look at The World's Columbian Exposition, the world's fair that Chicago hosted in 1893, held in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America. The fair was tainted by deaths, a serial killer, and an assassination. The lead architect, Daniel Burnham, and the serial killer, Henry Howard Holmes, play pivotal roles in the events that unfolded before, during, and after the fair. In the late nineteenth century, Chicago was a raw city, growing fast, but it was horribly polluted. Fourteen million animals went to their deaths each year in the stockyards. Garbage and manure piled up and typhus, cholera, and other diseases raged. Train and carriage accidents killed several people daily. Fires were even more deadly. The city tallied 800 murders in just the first half of one year... PLEASE NOTE: This is a summary and analysis of the book and NOT the original book. Inside this Instaread Summary & Analysis of The Devil in the White City * Summary of book * Introduction to the Important People in the book * Analysis of the Themes and Author's Style

本作の真髄は、1893年のシカゴ万博という人類の英知の結晶「ホワイト・シティ」と、その影で蠢く連続殺人鬼の暗黒が織りなす圧倒的な光影の対比にあります。建築家バーナムが抱く壮大な理想と、殺人鬼ホームズが築く死の城。この正反対の情熱が同時代に共存したという歴史の皮肉が、エリック・ラーソンの緻密な叙事詩的手法によって鮮烈に描き出されています。 単なる事実の羅列を超え、近代化がもたらす希望と狂気を浮き彫りにするその筆致は、読者を十九世紀末の混沌へと引き込みます。人間が到達しうる至高の美と底なしの深淵。その両極端な本質を抉り出す知的なスリルは、まさに歴史の裏側に潜む人間の真実を暴くドラマです。本書の鋭い分析を通じて、私たちはその眩いばかりの光と闇の正体に肉薄することになるでしょう。