I actually read this book a few years back and wasn't sure if I liked it or not. I thought maybe I was too young to appreciate it so I re-read it this weekend to see if my opinion had changed.
The story itself is very interesting. It juxtaposes the building of Chicago's World Fair against the story of one of the United States most evil serial killers Herman Webster Mudgett. I think the part that is most fascinating is the fact that the story really happened and that the men who built the fair ended up shaping much of America's culture in ways I recognize today.
The author does an excellent job weaving the two stories together and his writing style was a welcome change to some of the poor writing styles I've subjected myself to lately.
My only complaint is at times the story can seem a little slow, the author goes in-depth into the construction of the fair, and I found myself getting bored during some of those parts. I also think that in an effort to use foreshadowing and be clever the author sometimes left me feeling annoyed.
Overall though this was an excellent book and would be a fascinating read for anyone interested in American History etc.
Hmm... Was it scary? I hate when attempts to be clever end up annoying! -J
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