Eric Larson, "The Devil in the White City"

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:35

Eric Larson presented the world with another of his works, which reveals the terrible truth about a serial killer - an example of an ideal sociopath. The story is a bit like a fairy tale, but a fairy tale is the most terrible of all horrors in existence. Eric Larson called this story "The Devil in the White City", and this title already suggests that the situation described in the book hardly fits into the head of an ordinary person.

Torture Doctor

Thriller based on real events, the main character of which is Dr. Holmes, captures from the very first lines. Holmes is the pseudonym taken by the killer, and his real name is Herman Webster Mudgett. The nickname he received afterwards is the Doctor of Torture. The book draws a thread linking Holmes' cruel deeds to his childhood full of horror and violence.

So, Chicago, late 19th century. Preparations are underway for the World Exhibition,dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America, named the Columbus Exhibition in honor of the famous navigator-discoverer. Henry Howard Holmes fraudulently redeems real estate and builds a hotel, later nicknamed the "Murder Castle" by the people for its gloomy appearance and the affairs going on there. Among the hotels built in honor of the exhibition, it was the "Castle" that took first place.

Murder Castle

Beautifully decorated interiors of the rooms on the floors, excellent cuisine and exquisite serving first of all won the hearts of beautiful ladies. Everything seemed to beckoning to spend a few days in bliss and comfort. But behind the beautiful interiors and haute cuisine, there was a terrible truth. To some guests, this truth was revealed in all its nightmarish guise. But they will not be able to tell about it, because they will become victims of the friendly owner of the hotel. By the way, even the attendants were forbidden to go up to the top floor.

The building was built under the vigilant leadership of Holmes, according to his drawings, and so that many secrets of the future hotel remain secrets, the criminal often changed contractors and workers. What was hidden later in the cellars of the "Castle" shocked even seasoned police officers and reporters who had seen everything. The building itself from the very first minutes causes bewilderment with its interiors. An incredible number of rooms where there are no windows, stairs leading to nowhere, false floors and much more.

Instruments of torture, a crematorium, the remains of missing people and a vivisection table caused a real storm of emotions among citizens of allworld, when some details of the investigation were made public, while others became accidentally available to the general public. Photos of the victims, which were released to the media, stirred up black waves of indignation among the people.

Another 15 minutes of life as a punishment from above

Eric Larson describes the events of those years in colors, which makes the book reminiscent of horror stories. The hero of the story is mercantile, smart and cunning, his actions are honed like knife blades, and it would seem that retribution will never overtake him. But punishment overtakes the inhuman killer. His execution took place in May 1896. He was sentenced to death by hanging. But fate prepared him an unpleasant surprise. For more than 15 minutes, Holmes was dying in agony, dangling in a noose. His vertebrae did not break immediately, and the criminal had to live for several more minutes in agony and anguish.

How did the serial killer get caught, where did he make a mistake? Eric Larson answers this question in his book. "The Devil in the White City" is a world bestseller, where the long-forgotten facts of those tragic events are revealed and raised. There is also a childhood story of the future killer. Childhood, where there was no place for simple human happiness. Bad heredity, a joyless childhood do not always lead to the child becoming a violent killer. But in this case, everything came together one to one: inhumanity, cruelty and a tendency to violence prevailed and broke out.

Book and movie

Eric Larson, whose books are always read in one breath and leave deep in the soulTrace, knows how, like no one else, to revive the pictures of the past or draw the world created by him. But this book still should not fall into the hands of people suffering from various mental disorders. Abusive teenagers can take everything written into account and then use the information for their own purposes, which is absolutely unacceptable.

This book was made into a film of the same name in 2017. The events in the film take place in the hotel, which won first place at the World's Fair. Eric Larson in the book perfectly described the atmosphere of the terrible "Murder Castle", without missing a single, even shocking and terrifying detail. Based on the facts from the book, following the development of events, the film turned out to be a living embodiment of the printed word. The premiere is scheduled for 2019. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio.