Humanity’s Sin from Sanity by Humberto Soto Jauregui

Humanity has seven deadly sins: Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Wrath, Greed, and Sloth. In the late nineteenth century, a man once conceived to be a charming doctor, tempted by the sins, became the living incarnation of the devil in the so called “White City” of Chicago and murdered countless innocent people using inhumane methods. Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America (2003), was written to inform the reader about Chicago's World's Fair that was held in 1893. More importantly, it addresses the story and juxtaposition of two men; Daniel H.  Burnham, the lead architect in charge of the World’s Fair project, and H. H. Holmes, America's first serial killer. Larson touches upon themes of good vs. evil and the “evanescence of life,” as he puts it in the prologue. He argues that pride leads people like Holmes to commit evil acts because it’s the nature of man filled with ambition. In the course of the book, Larson takes it upon himself to capture the soul of the city, Chicago, and create a narration of Burnham’s life and legacy alongside Holmes deceptive life and the monster that lived within him. Overall, The Devil in the White City deserves four stars out of five due to Larson’s skillful narration of his non-fiction book intensifying the reading. Young readers who are interested in American history and the insight of a serial killer, described in detail, with a particular love for narratives will truly value Larson’s work.