I found this book less than fascinating. Maybe I'm too skeptical but some of the conclusions that the author jumps to are just silly. For example, he purports that the reason that grass doesn't grow on the empty lot where Gacy's house used to stand is because of ghostly energy... instead of the obvious reasons: hard, compacted soil and the fact that lawn grass is not native to Illinois and must be planted to grow. The book does have an excellent design and discusses some interesting landmarks and legends - but inconveniently does not include any directions to the sites. If you're in the market for a guidebook to weird Illinois, I'd suggest the far more comprehensive Oddball Illinois - at least until my own book comes out and becomes THE morbid sightseeing guide to Illinois!

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #182364 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780760759431
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

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Customer Reviews

A Compendium of the Unusual in Illinois
Owing to the fact that most Illinois people live in the Chicago area, and that is where I am from, my review is limited to this region.

Famous buildings discussed include the Hull House. One of the unusual buildings featured in the book is the replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and located in suburban Niles. One of the eye-catching restaurants included is the Superdawg. It is a 1950's-style hot dog stand, located at the corner of Milwaukee and Devon, on the far northwest side of Chicago. First opened in 1948, it features the likeness of a boy and girl hotdog perched high above the restaurant. (I remembered it from my 5 year-old self being driven to my grandmother's burial in 1960).

Some crime scenes are included, notably the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, and the site where John Wayne Gacy, dressed like a clown, murdered over 30 men and older boys, and buried their bodies in his basement. It is said that it took a mysteriously long time for grass to begin growing again at the site.

A number of cemeteries are featured. But ghost stories also originate from other areas associated with death, especially mass death. When a large airliner crashed at O'Hare Airport in May of 1979, killing over 270 people, there were reports of strange lights in the field at night, and knocks on the doors of locals. No one was there when the owners came to the doors.

The authors missed a chance to include the Our Lady of the Angels School fire of 1958, in which 92 children and 3 teachers perished. The school was subsequently rebuilt, and is no longer a Catholic school. But, over the decades since the tragic fire, there had been, from the new school building, occasional reports of mysterious sounds of children screaming.

Great Addition to the 'Weird' Series
I love all the 'Weird' books, especially the 'U.S.' and the 'Weird New Jersey' book, but amongst the other states, this one is a real treat. First off, it's well written by expert Troy Taylor. Secondly, the pulse of the book never ceases. From the start it grabbed me and had me turning pages, when usually these books are something you pick up and put down, just because there is so much to digest. there are some great ghostly tales and other-worldly visits that make this compilation stand on top of my stack of 'Weird' books.

Weird Illinois
I enjoyed the book and it was an easy read, Short stories and local history. It made me want to go visit some of the sites written about. I didn't know Illinois had so much to offer.