The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson, has already proven to be a gripping novel. There are really two stories being told within one. One story is about The World’s Fair, and that the city of Chicago may be hosting it. The main characters of this part are Daniel Burnham and John Root. Both of these men are architects in the city and built the Montauk, which was considered the first skyscraper. The other story is about a man named Holmes and his life as a pharmacist in Chicago and his trials in relationships with women. Holmes is described a few ways, “[His] eyes are very big and wide open…They are blue” (35). It later says that “To women as yet unaware of his private obsessions, it was an appealing delicacy. He broke prevailing rules of casual intimacy: He stood too close, stared too hard, touched too much and long. And women adored him for it” (36). It is obvious that Holmes is a ladies man. Both of these stories have yet to tie into one another, other then the fact that they are both taking place in the city of Chicago. So far, Burnham and Roots, are planning on where in Chicago the Fair should be located, and how the buildings will be constructed so quickly. The two architects are also feeling pressure due to France’s Exposition Universelle, which they need to top. The city at this time was very rugged. The trains were the main use of transportation, and the city was a violent place, with “800 violent deaths in 1892” (12). It was a wonderful, but harsh place to live. Holmes at this point is just bought the lot across the street from his drugstore, however, as the reader I do not yet know the buildings purpose. Holmes has the following thought, “To hire an architect would have meant revealing the true character of the structure that suddenly had lodged itself in his imagination” (66). Holmes had also recently been married and had a child. He does not see them much because he in the city for days at a time. Also, the only thing we know about this building is that the 1 level will be retail, and the second and third floors apartments. His will also have a vault, but to keep what in? In the book, while Holmes story is being told, there is also a lot about Jack the Ripper. It says: “Eventually, much would be made fo the fact that Holmes had erected his buildings during the same period in which Jack The Ripper, thousands of miles away, began his killings” (70). So far I know that Holmes will be the murdered, and that somehow it will connect to the story or the World’s Fair. So far, I’m enjoying the story, but hope that the two stories will be connected soon so that the story in general is easier to follow. I chose this book initially because I like mystery’s, and have not read many non-fiction murder stories. It is also interesting because of the scene of the Worlds Fair. My Dad has also read this book, and told he that he enjoyed the story. My Dad and I have similar tastes in books, so I knew I would also like it. The book so far is very much about city life and class. Burnham did not know what he was going to do with his life, really until he met Root and started the business with him. Holmes had had many odd jobs but wanted wealth, so he settled down at the pharmacy. Both of the stories are centered on work. All of the Burnham/Root sections are about the development of the World’s Fair, and all of the Holmes sections are about his work and now construction of this new building. So far, the book is interesting and engaging. It is true history that has interesting content. Socially, the story would probably not interest all readers but is appealing to a certain audience. As of this point, I am enjoying the story, but have yet to decide whether or not is will stand the test of time for future generations. I need to read more to decide this factor. I look forward to reading more and discussing the story with my group.
Devil in the White City has so far been an intriguing book with a complex plot. The plot of the book takes place in Chicago during the 1890’s. To set the mood we know that at this time Chicago is a city that is dark with murder, it’s a chaotic city but it is always in competition with New York City. Erik Larson first tells us that France has buildings that are better than anything America has ever built. Our main characters so far are Burnham and Root. The two men work together as architects and are two of the best in the city. America decided that they needed to “out Eifel, Eifel”. There was a vote that was taken to decide where this monument would take place. Everyone in the city stood quiet in the city to see who would get the final votes to build the fair. Chicago won the votes and was able to start building the fair. The architects that were hired were Burnham and Roots. Another main character in the book is Holmes who we predict to be the murderer in this story. All that we know about him so far is that he bought a pharmacy. The book so far has connected with the theme of work and class because it focuses heavily on the life of the architect. It goes into great detail about the stress levels and all the areas of being an architect. In my opinion the book got off to a slow start and has slowly gotten better. To me there are a lot of facts when I expected the book to be more of a story and more narrations from the characters rather than the narrator telling us how each character feels. I also thought that there would be an interaction between one of the architects and Holmes. The quality of the book is good because it still intrigues the reader, and would highly interest someone who likes history. There is not much social or cultural value because it is only the American lifestyle: there is not a diversity of other cultures in this book.
During our first meeting together to discuss the book we went over all of the main characters in the book. These characters included; Burnham, Roots, and Holmes. We know that Burnham and Roots are partners in architect and that before Burnham met Roots, he would switch from job to job until he met Roots. The two worked well together and they enjoyed each other’s company. In the 1890’s Chicago is a city that you can almost get away with any murder because there is so much chaos. The city is also always in competition with New York City. The United States at the time was also in competition with France to create buildings that were bigger and more beautiful. In order to do this Chicago came up with the idea to build a world fair. The fair has to be built in a very short amount of time which is almost impossible to do. The men that were chosen for the job of constructing the building were Burnham and Roots; they were honored by the request but soon realized how stressful the job would really be. As Holmes comes into the book and we start to build our suspicions about him, there is, coincidentally some about a murderer that Holmes reads about in the news paper. The article that Holmes reads is about the Jack the Ripper killings. Jack the Ripper would kill his victims in very harsh ways. Because Larkson told us this information we become suspicious on its significance to any of the other characters especially Holmes. We know that Holmes bought a Pharmacy and in the short time of him working there a girl has disappeared. Holmes came up with an excuse to why she had disappeared and because the people of the town liked him they paid no attention. Holmes is good with people, especially ladies. He is a smooth talker and good looking. Since Holmes lives away from his family he bought a lot nest to the Pharmacy, yet we are not sure what he plans to build. Every time Holmes hires someone to build for him he decides whether or not he likes them and is he will pay them. He has the money to pay them he just chooses not to. Our predictions: We have guesses about where the book may head but we have an idea that Holmes will defiantly kill more people. The reason that we know this is because we know that Holmes killed the girl in the Pharmacy, he is the murderer. We think that we will get to see more of Holmes real personality rather than what other people see him as. For the theme of work and class this book ties in because it heavily focuses on the life of an architect and is now focusing on Holmes making a life for himself.
Many things have happened that I did not expect. I love that it has become such a fast page turner. Burnham's partner, Root, died, leaving Burnham with a World Fair to successfully complete by 1883. He is short on time and is in a hurry to find new experts and to begin building. He is worried about the possibility of fire, because he cannot afford a mistake or set back due to the short timeframe. Burnham has now hired some new faces and is waiting for plans so he can begin real building in the park. Midway is in its beginning stages. The story of Holmes is getting more and more interesting. He is working on the 2nd and 3rd floors of this new building across the street from the pharmacy. There is a furnace in the basement that can reach 3000 degrees Fahrenheit. The Connors family had moved in, and quickly Holmes lured the daughter and wife of Ned into his scheme. Ned moves away, and on Christmas Eve, Holmes kills his family, Julia and Pearl, using a chemical. Nobody suspects Holmes, and they believe that the two girls just simply left the city. There are countless crimes going on the in the city at this point. The police are preparing to set up stations to help prevent crime during the Fair. Many killers are not caught, so we know that Holmes will probably be active for awhile. Once I sit down and read, it becomes hard to stop. I love that Holmes was so charming and wonderful, but that he really was a horrible person. Everyone trusts him, yet there really is not a substantial reason to. Burnham is working on a project that will be extremely difficult to complete in the timeframe of 21 months. Both stories are interesting and make me want to continue reading. I hope that the two stories soon become more connected as the crowds are attracted to the fair. So far, I'm enjoying the read and should have no problem finishing by next week.
With only about 100 pages left, I find that The Devil in the White City continues to be a gripping story. So much has happened, and as every page turns I feel the desire to read on. Both Burnham and Holmes have faced challenges, although very different, have a strange interconnectedness. Burnham continues to sell the Fair to the world, while Holmes lures in his victims.
The Fair opened and was projected to be successful. The first few days were misleading. With a failing economy at the time, and observations that the fair was “unfinished” the crowds were not as large as anticipated. Burnham continues to make progress on the unfinished areas of the Fair, while finding new ways to attracted tourists, through exhibitions and fireworks.
Holmes is at the peak of his game. He calls this new building “the Worlds Fair Hotel” and rents apartments to young women. Coincidently, when a man asks for a room the hotel is “full.” He has now married Minnie, and caters to her whims. Slowly, people are disappearing without a trace. On every occasion Holmes appears to be innocent, and even concerned. Residents at his hotel notice the smell of chemicals; however they fail to say anything to the authorities. As far as I know, no one is on his trail.
Originally, I wanted these tow stories to connect. I wanted it to flow. I now enjoy the two different stories and realize that Burnham and Holmes will probably never come in contact with one another. Holmes is using the attraction of the Fair to find victims, and Burnham is working to make the Fair more attractive.
I am enjoying the story more then I had thought I would. Realizing that this is a true story, and that this murderer used the World Fair as his stage, the story will never be lost. The setting is unforgettable and the events astounding.
I look forward to discussing the story’s recent events with my group members. I hope that we can tie together some lose ends and collaborate our ideas.
So far in Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson,it has been decided that America needs a fair to show how artistic America really can be. The idea is to create a fair that shows off America's artistic side and their goal is to "out Eifel, Eifel". During this time two architects named Daniel Burnham and John Root are building up their own major franchise. With both of their brilliant minds working together, they have solved many problems that had previously stumpped seasoned architects time and again. Root was able to solve the problem with building height in the soft, unstable ground of Chicago and Burnham was able to help get more business that helped expand their arcitectural franchise. This book is an interesting one that keeps you on your feet mainly because there are acutally two stories in one book. One being Bernham and Root's and the other being that of a man named Holmes. Holmes is described as a handsome man who has a way with women. He is a man who has an plan of his own. He just recently bought a pharmacy. I chose this book because it looked like it had an interesting plot. I was attracted to they book by the fact that it was about a murder/mystery in American history. This book is very intriquing with the two different stories but they can also be confusing and hard to follow at times. This book is a good read so far it is interesting. It is reletively engaging but can be difficult to keep up with becuse of the two separate stories. I believe this book deserves literary merit because so far it has done a great job of portraying the images of what is going on and telling the story in a historical, but interesting way. This book relates mainly to work but also, slightly to class. It talks a lot about who has what jobs and their importance but also who has what social standing and how social class can change.
After a few weeks of reading, I have finally finished The Devil In The White City. The story was steady, however I am glad that I am done reading it.
Somehow, the World's Fair turned into a success. After Burnham's arrest due to the mass amount of money being spent and no results, the fair was suddenly turned around. Thousands found themselves buying tickets, riding the Ferris wheel, and watching the fireworks. As the Fair neared its closing ceremony more people seemed to folk there. Suddenly, the mayor is shot, and Burnham realize that the fair began and ended with death (Root, and later the mayor). After the fair is over, all of its substantial contributors go back to their previous jobs, and life returns to normal. The city of Chicago is suddenly filled with unemployed workers from the fair, and the crime rate seems to continue to climb.
At this point, people begin to chase down Holmes. He has many unpaid debts. Later, detectives begin looking for his missing acquaintances, and soon all clues point to him. He is chased from city to city, and put into jail. Throughout all of this, Holmes still manages to charm all that he encounters.
As a character, Burnham was a problem solver. No matter what the outcome he seemed to stay focused and determined to make the Fair a success, which he eventually did. Holmes on the other hand was clever and resourceful. He weaved lies and never seemed unsure of anything. Although they are both two very different people, they both had confidence in their causes.
This book is one that I will remember. I cannot say that I loved it, but found it historically interesting and significant. I tend to read non-fiction, and that type of reading seems to move faster for me. It was good for me to open myself to a new genre. I believe that this book will stand the test of time due to the magnitude of the World's Fair. I still wish that there was more of a connection between Holmes and Burnham other then the setting. I wanted to much for these two to be somehow tied together, even if it was not directly.
As group members we came to similar conclusions. None of us loved the book, but we all found it rewarding. I know I would probably not read it again, and I believe that both Katelyn and Jack would agree with me. Our group discussion today brought out some good points. We all had trouble with the way the story ended. The lack of connection between Burnham and Holmes proved to upset all of us. We wanted them to meet, or somehow cross paths just one time, but they never did. After the Fair was over, Burnham's story abruptly ended, and the story of Holmes was then finished.
We all found it interesting that after all the Holmes had done, that people still somehow could not help but respect him. Even when we was in jail, the guards treated him better than the rest of the prisoners. Jack, Katelyn, and I decided that he must have been a special man to do his. It is hard not to admire someone with this power attribute, but the man was insane. Jack and I also discussed Holmes' mind. How did he come up with the sound proof vault or the kiln? What kind of person would imagine and then create something like that? We laughed and said he was crazy.
Katelyn and I continue to be upset by the lack of connection between Holmes and Burnham. I secretly hope that at some point during all of these festivities that they walked by one another, or made brief eye contact. Even without this direct connection, Burnham did set the stage for Holmes. Burnham made Chicago an attractive place, brought in many tourists, and to top it off, all of that made it easy for someone, or in this case many people, to disappear. Holmes took advantage of all of this, and the magnitude of the Fair kept his actions under the radar.
The story of the World's Fair was a cultural and historical lessons that our group appreciated. The subject matter was interesting, and the events in the book never failed to surprise any of us.
8 comments:
The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson, has already proven to be a gripping novel. There are really two stories being told within one. One story is about The World’s Fair, and that the city of Chicago may be hosting it. The main characters of this part are Daniel Burnham and John Root. Both of these men are architects in the city and built the Montauk, which was considered the first skyscraper. The other story is about a man named Holmes and his life as a pharmacist in Chicago and his trials in relationships with women. Holmes is described a few ways, “[His] eyes are very big and wide open…They are blue” (35). It later says that “To women as yet unaware of his private obsessions, it was an appealing delicacy. He broke prevailing rules of casual intimacy: He stood too close, stared too hard, touched too much and long. And women adored him for it” (36). It is obvious that Holmes is a ladies man. Both of these stories have yet to tie into one another, other then the fact that they are both taking place in the city of Chicago.
So far, Burnham and Roots, are planning on where in Chicago the Fair should be located, and how the buildings will be constructed so quickly. The two architects are also feeling pressure due to France’s Exposition Universelle, which they need to top. The city at this time was very rugged. The trains were the main use of transportation, and the city was a violent place, with “800 violent deaths in 1892” (12). It was a wonderful, but harsh place to live. Holmes at this point is just bought the lot across the street from his drugstore, however, as the reader I do not yet know the buildings purpose. Holmes has the following thought, “To hire an architect would have meant revealing the true character of the structure that suddenly had lodged itself in his imagination” (66). Holmes had also recently been married and had a child. He does not see them much because he in the city for days at a time. Also, the only thing we know about this building is that the 1 level will be retail, and the second and third floors apartments. His will also have a vault, but to keep what in? In the book, while Holmes story is being told, there is also a lot about Jack the Ripper. It says: “Eventually, much would be made fo the fact that Holmes had erected his buildings during the same period in which Jack The Ripper, thousands of miles away, began his killings” (70).
So far I know that Holmes will be the murdered, and that somehow it will connect to the story or the World’s Fair. So far, I’m enjoying the story, but hope that the two stories will be connected soon so that the story in general is easier to follow. I chose this book initially because I like mystery’s, and have not read many non-fiction murder stories. It is also interesting because of the scene of the Worlds Fair. My Dad has also read this book, and told he that he enjoyed the story. My Dad and I have similar tastes in books, so I knew I would also like it.
The book so far is very much about city life and class. Burnham did not know what he was going to do with his life, really until he met Root and started the business with him. Holmes had had many odd jobs but wanted wealth, so he settled down at the pharmacy. Both of the stories are centered on work. All of the Burnham/Root sections are about the development of the World’s Fair, and all of the Holmes sections are about his work and now construction of this new building.
So far, the book is interesting and engaging. It is true history that has interesting content. Socially, the story would probably not interest all readers but is appealing to a certain audience. As of this point, I am enjoying the story, but have yet to decide whether or not is will stand the test of time for future generations. I need to read more to decide this factor. I look forward to reading more and discussing the story with my group.
Devil in the White City has so far been an intriguing book with a complex plot. The plot of the book takes place in Chicago during the 1890’s. To set the mood we know that at this time Chicago is a city that is dark with murder, it’s a chaotic city but it is always in competition with New York City. Erik Larson first tells us that France has buildings that are better than anything America has ever built. Our main characters so far are Burnham and Root. The two men work together as architects and are two of the best in the city. America decided that they needed to “out Eifel, Eifel”. There was a vote that was taken to decide where this monument would take place. Everyone in the city stood quiet in the city to see who would get the final votes to build the fair. Chicago won the votes and was able to start building the fair. The architects that were hired were Burnham and Roots. Another main character in the book is Holmes who we predict to be the murderer in this story. All that we know about him so far is that he bought a pharmacy.
The book so far has connected with the theme of work and class because it focuses heavily on the life of the architect. It goes into great detail about the stress levels and all the areas of being an architect.
In my opinion the book got off to a slow start and has slowly gotten better. To me there are a lot of facts when I expected the book to be more of a story and more narrations from the characters rather than the narrator telling us how each character feels. I also thought that there would be an interaction between one of the architects and Holmes. The quality of the book is good because it still intrigues the reader, and would highly interest someone who likes history. There is not much social or cultural value because it is only the American lifestyle: there is not a diversity of other cultures in this book.
Group Blog:
During our first meeting together to discuss the book we went over all of the main characters in the book. These characters included; Burnham, Roots, and Holmes. We know that Burnham and Roots are partners in architect and that before Burnham met Roots, he would switch from job to job until he met Roots. The two worked well together and they enjoyed each other’s company. In the 1890’s Chicago is a city that you can almost get away with any murder because there is so much chaos. The city is also always in competition with New York City. The United States at the time was also in competition with France to create buildings that were bigger and more beautiful. In order to do this Chicago came up with the idea to build a world fair. The fair has to be built in a very short amount of time which is almost impossible to do. The men that were chosen for the job of constructing the building were Burnham and Roots; they were honored by the request but soon realized how stressful the job would really be.
As Holmes comes into the book and we start to build our suspicions about him, there is, coincidentally some about a murderer that Holmes reads about in the news paper. The article that Holmes reads is about the Jack the Ripper killings. Jack the Ripper would kill his victims in very harsh ways. Because Larkson told us this information we become suspicious on its significance to any of the other characters especially Holmes. We know that Holmes bought a Pharmacy and in the short time of him working there a girl has disappeared. Holmes came up with an excuse to why she had disappeared and because the people of the town liked him they paid no attention. Holmes is good with people, especially ladies. He is a smooth talker and good looking. Since Holmes lives away from his family he bought a lot nest to the Pharmacy, yet we are not sure what he plans to build. Every time Holmes hires someone to build for him he decides whether or not he likes them and is he will pay them. He has the money to pay them he just chooses not to.
Our predictions:
We have guesses about where the book may head but we have an idea that Holmes will defiantly kill more people. The reason that we know this is because we know that Holmes killed the girl in the Pharmacy, he is the murderer. We think that we will get to see more of Holmes real personality rather than what other people see him as. For the theme of work and class this book ties in because it heavily focuses on the life of an architect and is now focusing on Holmes making a life for himself.
Many things have happened that I did not expect. I love that it has become such a fast page turner.
Burnham's partner, Root, died, leaving Burnham with a World Fair to successfully complete by 1883. He is short on time and is in a hurry to find new experts and to begin building. He is worried about the possibility of fire, because he cannot afford a mistake or set back due to the short timeframe. Burnham has now hired some new faces and is waiting for plans so he can begin real building in the park. Midway is in its beginning stages.
The story of Holmes is getting more and more interesting. He is working on the 2nd and 3rd floors of this new building across the street from the pharmacy. There is a furnace in the basement that can reach 3000 degrees Fahrenheit. The Connors family had moved in, and quickly Holmes lured the daughter and wife of Ned into his scheme. Ned moves away, and on Christmas Eve, Holmes kills his family, Julia and Pearl, using a chemical. Nobody suspects Holmes, and they believe that the two girls just simply left the city.
There are countless crimes going on the in the city at this point. The police are preparing to set up stations to help prevent crime during the Fair. Many killers are not caught, so we know that Holmes will probably be active for awhile.
Once I sit down and read, it becomes hard to stop. I love that Holmes was so charming and wonderful, but that he really was a horrible person. Everyone trusts him, yet there really is not a substantial reason to. Burnham is working on a project that will be extremely difficult to complete in the timeframe of 21 months. Both stories are interesting and make me want to continue reading. I hope that the two stories soon become more connected as the crowds are attracted to the fair.
So far, I'm enjoying the read and should have no problem finishing by next week.
With only about 100 pages left, I find that The Devil in the White City continues to be a gripping story. So much has happened, and as every page turns I feel the desire to read on. Both Burnham and Holmes have faced challenges, although very different, have a strange interconnectedness. Burnham continues to sell the Fair to the world, while Holmes lures in his victims.
The Fair opened and was projected to be successful. The first few days were misleading. With a failing economy at the time, and observations that the fair was “unfinished” the crowds were not as large as anticipated. Burnham continues to make progress on the unfinished areas of the Fair, while finding new ways to attracted tourists, through exhibitions and fireworks.
Holmes is at the peak of his game. He calls this new building “the Worlds Fair Hotel” and rents apartments to young women. Coincidently, when a man asks for a room the hotel is “full.” He has now married Minnie, and caters to her whims. Slowly, people are disappearing without a trace. On every occasion Holmes appears to be innocent, and even concerned. Residents at his hotel notice the smell of chemicals; however they fail to say anything to the authorities. As far as I know, no one is on his trail.
Originally, I wanted these tow stories to connect. I wanted it to flow. I now enjoy the two different stories and realize that Burnham and Holmes will probably never come in contact with one another. Holmes is using the attraction of the Fair to find victims, and Burnham is working to make the Fair more attractive.
I am enjoying the story more then I had thought I would. Realizing that this is a true story, and that this murderer used the World Fair as his stage, the story will never be lost. The setting is unforgettable and the events astounding.
I look forward to discussing the story’s recent events with my group members. I hope that we can tie together some lose ends and collaborate our ideas.
So far in Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson,it has been decided that America needs a fair to show how artistic America really can be. The idea is to create a fair that shows off America's artistic side and their goal is to "out Eifel, Eifel". During this time two architects named Daniel Burnham and John Root are building up their own major franchise. With both of their brilliant minds working together, they have solved many problems that had previously stumpped seasoned architects time and again. Root was able to solve the problem with building height in the soft, unstable ground of Chicago and Burnham was able to help get more business that helped expand their arcitectural franchise.
This book is an interesting one that keeps you on your feet mainly because there are acutally two stories in one book. One being Bernham and Root's and the other being that of a man named Holmes. Holmes is described as a handsome man who has a way with women. He is a man who has an plan of his own. He just recently bought a pharmacy.
I chose this book because it looked like it had an interesting plot. I was attracted to they book by the fact that it was about a murder/mystery in American history.
This book is very intriquing with the two different stories but they can also be confusing and hard to follow at times. This book is a good read so far it is interesting. It is reletively engaging but can be difficult to keep up with becuse of the two separate stories. I believe this book deserves literary merit because so far it has done a great job of portraying the images of what is going on and telling the story in a historical, but interesting way.
This book relates mainly to work but also, slightly to class. It talks a lot about who has what jobs and their importance but also who has what social standing and how social class can change.
After a few weeks of reading, I have finally finished The Devil In The White City. The story was steady, however I am glad that I am done reading it.
Somehow, the World's Fair turned into a success. After Burnham's arrest due to the mass amount of money being spent and no results, the fair was suddenly turned around. Thousands found themselves buying tickets, riding the Ferris wheel, and watching the fireworks. As the Fair neared its closing ceremony more people seemed to folk there. Suddenly, the mayor is shot, and Burnham realize that the fair began and ended with death (Root, and later the mayor). After the fair is over, all of its substantial contributors go back to their previous jobs, and life returns to normal. The city of Chicago is suddenly filled with unemployed workers from the fair, and the crime rate seems to continue to climb.
At this point, people begin to chase down Holmes. He has many unpaid debts. Later, detectives begin looking for his missing acquaintances, and soon all clues point to him. He is chased from city to city, and put into jail. Throughout all of this, Holmes still manages to charm all that he encounters.
As a character, Burnham was a problem solver. No matter what the outcome he seemed to stay focused and determined to make the Fair a success, which he eventually did. Holmes on the other hand was clever and resourceful. He weaved lies and never seemed unsure of anything. Although they are both two very different people, they both had confidence in their causes.
This book is one that I will remember. I cannot say that I loved it, but found it historically interesting and significant. I tend to read non-fiction, and that type of reading seems to move faster for me. It was good for me to open myself to a new genre. I believe that this book will stand the test of time due to the magnitude of the World's Fair. I still wish that there was more of a connection between Holmes and Burnham other then the setting. I wanted to much for these two to be somehow tied together, even if it was not directly.
Group Entry:
As group members we came to similar conclusions. None of us loved the book, but we all found it rewarding. I know I would probably not read it again, and I believe that both Katelyn and Jack would agree with me. Our group discussion today brought out some good points. We all had trouble with the way the story ended. The lack of connection between Burnham and Holmes proved to upset all of us. We wanted them to meet, or somehow cross paths just one time, but they never did. After the Fair was over, Burnham's story abruptly ended, and the story of Holmes was then finished.
We all found it interesting that after all the Holmes had done, that people still somehow could not help but respect him. Even when we was in jail, the guards treated him better than the rest of the prisoners. Jack, Katelyn, and I decided that he must have been a special man to do his. It is hard not to admire someone with this power attribute, but the man was insane. Jack and I also discussed Holmes' mind. How did he come up with the sound proof vault or the kiln? What kind of person would imagine and then create something like that? We laughed and said he was crazy.
Katelyn and I continue to be upset by the lack of connection between Holmes and Burnham. I secretly hope that at some point during all of these festivities that they walked by one another, or made brief eye contact. Even without this direct connection, Burnham did set the stage for Holmes. Burnham made Chicago an attractive place, brought in many tourists, and to top it off, all of that made it easy for someone, or in this case many people, to disappear. Holmes took advantage of all of this, and the magnitude of the Fair kept his actions under the radar.
The story of the World's Fair was a cultural and historical lessons that our group appreciated. The subject matter was interesting, and the events in the book never failed to surprise any of us.
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