The Devil in the White City

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America (Crown Publishers, ISBN 0-609-60844-4) is a 2003 historical non-fiction book by Erik Larson presented in a novelistic style. The book is based on real characters and events. It tells the story of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago from the viewpoint of the designers, including Daniel Burnham, and also tells the story of H. H. Holmes, a criminal figure in that same time often credited as the first modern serial killer.

The Devil in the White City
Cover of The Devil in the White City
AuthorErik Larson
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreHistorical non-fiction
PublisherCrown Publishers
Publication date
2003
Media typePrint (hardcover and paperback)
Pages447
ISBN0-609-60844-4
OCLC54397544

Leonardo DiCaprio purchased the film rights in 2010.[1]

Plot

The book is set in Chicago in 1893, interweaving the true tales of Daniel Burnham, the architect behind the 1893 World's Fair, and H. H. Holmes, a serial killer who lured his victims to their deaths in his elaborately constructed "Murder Castle". The Devil in the White City is divided into four parts, the first three happening in Chicago between 1890-1893, while part four of the book takes place in Philadelphia circa 1895. The story of Daniel Burnham, his building of the fair and the struggles he overcomes forms one plot line. The other, a vivid and very different plot line, is that of H.H. Holmes, a mentally unstable pharmacist/doctor who forms a plan to use an abandoned lot across the street from his pharmacy to lure and kill multiple victims.

External media
Author Erik Larson
Audio
The Devil in the White City, Weekend Edition, National Public Radio, Larson interviewed by Scott Simon, 10:01, April 5, 2003
Video
Booknotes - The Devil in the White City, C-SPAN, 58:00, September 14, 2003.

Adaptation

Leonardo DiCaprio purchased the film rights to the book in 2010. The film version, as originally planned, would have been directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Billy Ray, and produced jointly by Paramount Pictures, Double Feature Films, and DiCaprio's Appian Way Productions.[2][3][4]

In 2019, Hulu began developing a series based on the book. Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese will executive produce the project along with Stacey Sher, Rick Yorn, Emma Koskoff, and Jennifer Davisson. Paramount Television will produce.[5]

Honors

References
  1. "Leonardo DiCaprio secures rights to book of first serial killer in the US", The Guardian newspaper (November 2, 2010). Accessed Nov. 2, 2010.
  2. "Leonardo DiCaprio Teams With Martin Scorsese for 'Devil in the White City'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2017-09-03.
  3. Fleming Jr., Mike (December 16, 2011). "Warner Bros Sets Black List Top Scribe Graham Moore For 'Devil In The White City'; Leonardo DiCaprio To Play Serial Killer". Deadline Hollywood.
  4. McNary, Dave (August 10, 2015). "Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese Reunite for 'Devil in the White City'". Variety. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  5. Otterson, Joe (February 11, 2019). "'Devil in the White City' Series in the Works at Hulu from Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese." Variety. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
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