Post your thoughts on true crime books and movies, as well as any dark and dreadful news stories that catch your eye.

"The Devil in the White City" as true crime. What did you think? I'd recommend the book, but not actually for the portion about H. H. Holmes, which was (not necessarily the author's fault) long on innuendo and woefully short on actual fact.

Yeah, I've read a couple of Douglas' books and exactly one by Ann Rule, The Stranger Beside Me. After reading Stranger, I wrote:

At one point in the story, she relates that she was in possession of the following knowledge of the then unknown suspect: he went by the name of Ted, he matched Bundy’s description, he drove a VW bug the same color as Bundy’s, his earliest assaults had taken place a half mile from Bundy’s residence at the time, and he affected, like Ted Bundy, an English accent. Ms. Rule’s response to this information: to anonymously put Bundy’s name in the list of thousands of potential suspect names on the basis of the first three points alone. Even doing that much left her feeling guilty. If the world had more women like Ann Rule, the world would have fewer women.

And she was a former policewoman! I was so disgusted by her that I refused to buy any more of her books.

I might try Olson. It ain't easy these days finding good true crime. Like you say, since it got big, the market has been inundated with a lot of crap.

In the Garden of Beasts. But, no, I haven't read it. I don't mind the subject matter, but the family he focuses on doesn't sound terribly interesting to me. Of course, I might have said that about Burnham and all the other architects, too, before I read Devil.

I suggested this in my review of Devil, but I think Larson has hit on a great way to sell his books to Hollywood. Find an interesting time period or event, then link it to someone who can give it a personal touch. I'm not happy that Leonardo DiCaprio owns the rights to Devil, but I'm interested that Tom Hanks might be involved with a Garden film.

Before reading the book, a comparison between the Ferris Wheel and the Eiffel Tower would have seemed very odd, to say the least. : -)

And isn't it funny if we extend the comparison beyond engineering to culture. I mean, the Eiffel Tower is a cultural icon. What does the Ferris Wheel, which is certainly iconic, say about American culture?

I like that -- "go around in circles." : -)

My own thought was that all you have to do is look at history. The Eiffel Tower: still standing; still, I believe, one of the biggest draws in the world; and, most importantly, still inspiring. The original Ferris Wheel: gone after 13 years and replaced by a carnival ride. I think it says we're a pretty shallow bunch, and hedonistic, with a capitalistic, utilitarian, lowest-common-denominator approach to "culture."

On the other hand, it's fun and happy and childlike.

So what are you gonna do? To me, it symbolizes my whole attitude: I love America, but I also hate it.

Just saw a National Geographic Presents episode about this (Madness in the White City). Erik Larson is one of the people interviewed. Which is good, because this show was just like the book (only not nearly as good) in that it skipped back and forth between the White City and Holmes. They didn't dig up anything new, so the Holmes part was just as shallow as in the book. I wish they'd just focused on the White City. There's tons more information they could have provided about that.