As you begin reading the book, what are your first impressions? Make as many comments on this post as you wish, but you must create at least two. ONE of those comments must be a well-organized paragraph. Use specific details from the reading in your comments: characters, events, setting, or other details from the book. If you're having trouble coming up with a way to start your comments, check out the sentence starters, which might give you direction on this generic first post. You have until Monday, November 26 to comment.
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As you begin reading the book, what are your first impressions? Make as many comments on this post as you wish, but you must create at least two. ONE of those comments must be a well-organized paragraph. Use specific details from the reading in your comments: characters, events, setting, or other details from the book. If you're having trouble coming up with a way to start your comments, check out the sentence starters, which might give you direction on this generic first post. You have until Monday, November 26 to comment.
17 Comments
11/19/2018 05:24:48 am
The Devil in the White City definitely sparked my interest as soon as I read the first page. Characters like Daniel Burnham, which I see as the protagonist so far, have the ability to allow you to become fully invested in their well-being. An example of this is when rival architects in the city of Chicago start to take business away from Burnham and Root, which makes the reader feel sympathy for these characters that have worked so hard to get where they were. I'm also quite eager to continue reading, because the foreshadowing of the murders to happen keep occurring more frequently. I see the book taking a deadly turn in the next few chapters, and I can't wait to see what happens next.
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Leah Driehorst
11/20/2018 05:23:32 am
I agree with you when you put it this way. When I started reading the book, I got bored with all the background information when I should've been focusing on Burnham and the foreshadowing. Reading your comment got me excited and motivated to continue and see what happens with Burnham and the many murders to come.
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Austin Eckhart
11/19/2018 05:59:01 am
My first impression when reading this book is that it really got me interested and quick. Usually it takes me a while to get into a book. I really like how they switch the point of view randomly, but they also make it obvious so that you don't get confused when you are reading it. They also give you lots of facts about the events happening in Chicago at the time. but it doesn't seem like their just spitting them out at you, they make them go with the story and it has a good flow that I enjoy. The people that were the architects worked so hard for what they were doing to get shut down and it wasn't good for them. I like the story of the boats and how Burnham wanted to call his friend from his boat only to find out that they were already spreading towards his friends boat because they were in jeopardy. I really like the way they introduce characters by telling us how they pertain to the story. I am really interested in reading more.
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Jessie Chen
11/20/2018 10:04:22 am
The change to point of view reminds me of how the author make a squiggly line when the point of view or event is changed. I like how the story is told from multiple point of view to make it a reliable narrator.
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Jessie Chen
11/19/2018 06:07:22 am
Books that starts with introducing background information, never interest me intently. I feel so bored about this book when I am introduced to all the character and their personal life like Burnham, Root, and Holmes. I want to get to the story line fast and get to know the character as the story goes. That way I have something to remember the character by. Some character's action angered me so much, but I guess that's the feeling you are suppose to get from nonfiction books, because the characters in real life are not perfect. My interest flicked alive when I got to the first murder scene, because that is the reason I choose this book. Murder is something that doesn't happens in my life (I don't want it to happen in my life either), and that is what usually got my attention. I am looking forward to what the murder is going to connect with the characters that I am introduced to.
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11/19/2018 05:55:21 pm
I can definitely understand what you're saying. The book did start off with almost a history text-book sense. It kept giving background but never introduced a strong plot. When the first murder scene occurred, I felt the same way you did; excited and wanting to read more.
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Lydia Caines
11/25/2018 03:29:18 pm
Personally, I felt that the background information in the prologue was kind of interesting. The beginning was a little slow but I liked the middle section which gave kind of a overview of the Chicago worlds fair.
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Molly
11/25/2018 04:15:22 pm
Personally, I really enjoyed learning the history of Chicago in the early nineteenth century. I believe that the information that Erik Larson, the author, gave us will help us when we actually get into the story. I agree on the murder scene though. It was very interesting!
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Leah Driehorst
11/20/2018 05:20:41 am
This book started with factual background information, such as talking about the Olympic, the worlds fair of 1893, and some important people, so I was a little bored when reading the prologue. I was a little annoyed because I wanted to get to the action as quickly as possible, but as I started reading the first couple chapters, it started to get a little more interesting. It talked about the murders that were happening left and right at the time and the notorious hotel in which many of these murders took place. So overall I think this will end up being a very interesting book and I am excited to read it, but I think it will be a tad slow.
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Austin
11/26/2018 06:11:52 am
I agree that the prologue was super boring, it seems like he's just spitting facts at you and when I read it, it was monotone feeling. (not sure if that made sense.) I hope they speed up to action sooner rather than later so that it makes the book more interesting.
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Jessie Chen
11/20/2018 09:53:30 am
When I am first introduced to the Holmes, I thought I've heard of this name before. I thought it must be someone I've read in history, and the "Sherlock Holmes". (~3~)
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Molly
11/25/2018 04:11:50 pm
The Devil in the White City has already captured my attention and I haven't even read the first chapter. Before you begin, the author gives you two quotes that the characters said in real life. Dr. H. H. Holmes, the murderer, said in his confession, "I was born with the devil in me. I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than the poet can help the inspiration to sing." I like how Larson is already giving us insight on the characters personality before you even begin reading. Once I started reading the prologue I was even more intrigued. I like how the author drew the parallel between the Olympic and the Titanic. The main character, who is on the Olympic, wanted to send a message to his fellow builder of the fair on the Titanic. Ironically, we already know that the Titanic sinks. Also, we learn that Burnham has hurt his foot, and I am wondering if that will come back in later in the story. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book and I am excited to read more.
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Belle
11/26/2018 04:04:30 pm
I felt the same way as you did when you read the first two quotes that Larson gave us even before the book started. I thought it was really cool that we were able to find out the main characters and a little bit about them before we started the book. Just those few short lines made me excited to keep reading. Although Larson never really states that the ship that Millet is on is the Titanic I find it great that we can use our own knowledge to decipher what ship he is talking about.
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Lydia Caines
11/26/2018 05:19:08 pm
This book started out okay. The prologue and about the first two chapter are just background information some of which caught my attention and made me want to read more and some parts just weren't all that interesting. One part that interested me was the explanation of the relationship between America and France about architecture and how some Americans at the time thought of the Eiffel Tower as a monstrosity. But the really interesting stuff starts happening when we are introduced to the first murder situation. I think that this book is going to get more interesting as it goes on even though it started out slow.
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Belle Easton
11/26/2018 08:31:36 pm
In only the first few chapters of The Devil In The White City that I read I feel totally up to speed. We meet the two main characters, Daniel Burnham and Dr. H.H. Holmes, even before the book even begins. Through Larson’s constant clever hints at each of the character’s personality the mood of the book is swiftly set and the reader feels as if they are now one of the detectives. The background information and pictures the author feeds to the reader also helps further pull the reader quickly into the understanding of the issue that Chicago faced during the time of the World’s Columbian Exposition. Larson immediately addresses to the reader of the problem of young women coming up missing and Chicagoś high death rate during this time.
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ms.p
11/30/2018 07:11:21 am
First name, last initial
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Molly K
12/7/2018 03:47:47 am
The Devil in the White City obtained my interest as soon as I started reading the first page. I enjoy the way the author, Erik Larson, has told the story so far. I like how two main characters contradict each other, one is a murderer and one is a creator. I am fascinated in how Erik Larson gives us the history of Chicago to better understand the area and situation in the book. One quote that I really likes was, "The Great Chicago Fire took nearly eighteen thousand buildings and left more than a hundred thousand people homeless" (Larson 19). The way that Erik Larson is able to show the great city of Chicago is positive and negative lights has really captured my interest.
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