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dmsehnert's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
i originally wanted to read this because it’s on the 1001 books to read before you die list (yes, ugh, i know!) and i have been known to enjoy true crime every now and then.
this entire book reads like a law and order: SUV fanfiction. honestly, it’s just pure copaganda and i shouldn’t be shocked by that at all but it was just so so bad.
to summarize so no one else has to read this:
we’re COPS and we have DICKS and we solve CRIMES but we also like BOOZE and BOXING and are engaged in a bizarre throuple situation.
why was everyone pretending to be someone else??? legitimately everyone was secretly an actor?? i have to laugh, im sorry!
this entire book reads like a law and order: SUV fanfiction. honestly, it’s just pure copaganda and i shouldn’t be shocked by that at all but it was just so so bad.
to summarize so no one else has to read this:
we’re COPS and we have DICKS and we solve CRIMES but we also like BOOZE and BOXING and are engaged in a bizarre throuple situation.
why was everyone pretending to be someone else??? legitimately everyone was secretly an actor?? i have to laugh, im sorry!
romonko's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
James Ellroy wrote this book in order for him to tell his own story about Elizabeth Short or The Black Dahlia. Elizabeth is found in a vacant lot in January 1947. She was mutilated, tortured, murdered, cut in half and dumped in the course of two horrendous days. Using real-life people, and some fictional characters, Ellroy has shown us what probably happened to Elizabeth Short, who was The Black Dahlia. The story is about two young policemen who become involved in the investigation of the Black Dahlia's murder, and it depicts how this event shaped and changed their lives. Both men become totally absorbed and the book shows how their lives were forever changed and sent spinning off the rails from this one horrific murder. When I read Ellroy's final words on the book, I found that he too, in his own way, was obsessed by the Dahlia, even though he was born just after she died. He explains that it was almost a parallel story of what actually happened to his own mother in the 1950's. The book is graphic and explicit, but at the same time it shows the strength and goodness that is in some people as opposed to the absolute derangement of others. It depicts the psychotic mind as well as or better than any other book I've read about this. This book is as noir as any book can get. It's full of obsessions, lies, psychoses, sex, torture and murder. For anyone with a queasy stomach, the book might be way too much to take. For me it was like climbing into a tub of bathtub gin, and not coming up for air until I finished the book. it actually wrung me out, but I kept turning pages. No one does crime like James Ellroy, and nobody does it with so explicitly, and with so much aplomb. In a James Ellroy world, just about anything is possible, and the tension does not leave until the very end of the book. So expect the unexpected, be prepared for some pretty horrific scenarios, get angry and frustrated with the main characters, and fall into the world of post-war LA.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Torture, and Sexism
jess_mango's review
3.0
3.5 out of 5. I enjoyed the old school noir vibe but towards the end it was "wait, what?" a bit too many times.
8797999's review
5.0
My first time reading James Ellroy and what an experience. An absolute thrill, gritty, violent, full of deceit, lies, sex and fantastic characters.
The story was very different to what I was expecting, more plot to what I thought and that was a plus. I loved some of the back and forth between characters, especially the scenes in New Jersey interviewing the suspect, some laugh out loud bits of dialogue. The ending was great and unexpected, some good twists in the plot regarding Lee.
I am looking forward to reading the rest of the LA Quartet and in the future the Underworld US series and second LA Quartet. Based off this experience James Ellroy will be a favourite. I wish I had read it sooner, it must have been sitting on my bookshelves for almost a decade. Better late than never.
The story was very different to what I was expecting, more plot to what I thought and that was a plus. I loved some of the back and forth between characters, especially the scenes in New Jersey interviewing the suspect, some laugh out loud bits of dialogue. The ending was great and unexpected, some good twists in the plot regarding Lee.
I am looking forward to reading the rest of the LA Quartet and in the future the Underworld US series and second LA Quartet. Based off this experience James Ellroy will be a favourite. I wish I had read it sooner, it must have been sitting on my bookshelves for almost a decade. Better late than never.
ageekybibliophile's review
4.0
I really liked this book, a great look into the old age Hollywood with a great and still unsolved murder... Never really read a detective book before, but this one pulled me in and kept me there I felt myself just sitting reading for a while until I finished the book. I would recommend this book if your into crime, unsolved murders or detective books. :)
gillzville's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
nm_young's review
DNF @ 34%
TRIGGER WARNINGS: SEXUAL ASSAULT, INFIDELITY, TOURTRE, MURDER, HOMOPHOBIC/RACIAL SLURS (as used in the times of the 1940s)
POV: Singular, First Person
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Part of an interconnected series: Yes
First in series: Yes
Safe or Dark: Dark
The unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short AKA the Black Dahlia is what got me into true crime and the sordid world of serial killers. As crass as it sounds it is still to this day my favorite unsolved murder. I have researched it every which way but loose. Therefore, I wanted to love this book so bad. So very, very, bad. And I did for the first 124 pages. After that, it just fell apart. Don't get me wrong I knew this was a fictional story based on the actual murder. That wasn't an issue for me, what was an issue for me was the story itself.
I do want to mention that the noir vibes were vibing! I was very pleased with that.
I was not aware that The Black Dahlia was a book until a few years ago and ended up watching the movie of the same name when it was released in 2006. I usually like to read books before movie/television adaptions of them are released for two reasons, I like to get an idea of the full detailed story before stuff is omitted from the movie/show, and I like to build my description of a character in my head before I see who is cast in the movie/show. Since 2006 seems like it was eons ago, I had forgotten much about the storyline.
The story is told from the point of view of Dwight "Bucky" Bleichert, who is described as being 6'3 with dark hair, pale skin, and big buck teeth. Hence, his nickname. In the story, he is told by a woman that he would be "handsome if he got his teeth fixed." All in all, Bucky sounds like a good-looking guy. In the movie, Bleichert is played by Josh Hartnett who was a heartthrob in his own right in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Although he had the height, dark hair, and good looks, he failed to have the bucked teeth. These set of chompers were talked about so much in the book that picturing Hartnett often pulled me out of the story. That being said, I did adore Bucky Bleichert's character. Dare I say I had a crush on this fictional man?
The other main character is Leland "Lee" Blanchard. Bucky's wise-cracking smart-ass partner, who was described as having a ruddy complexion and sandy blonde hair. In the movie, he is portrayed by Aaron Eckhart. Now, we are not given as detailed of a description of Blanchard since the story is not being told from his point of view and the quick description that we do get comes from Bleichert. So, picturing Blanchard as Eckhart did not bother me so much.
Katherine "Kay" Lake is Lee's long-time girlfriend whom Bucky eventually falls in love with and vice versa. However, Kay throws off a lot of mixed signals and I was often unsure of her and Lee's relationship dynamics. I couldn't figure out if it was a romantic or friendly one. She made it clear that the two of them were not intimate. They become the Blanchard/Lake/Bleichert gang. That would be a good name for a law firm "Blanchard, Lake, & Bleichert attorneys-at-law". Three peas in a pod. While we get a fairly short description of Lake it is pointed out that she has basic features. A too-high forehead and a crooked nose were two that stood out to me. In the movie, she is played by Scarlett Johansson who is gorgeous. Again, picturing Johansson as Lake did not take me too much out of the story.
While I knew that this was not a true crime novel about the murder and was not going to be a factual book, there was just too much going on with the made-up storyline.
1) We get a peak into the (for lack of a better word) love-triangle, between Bucky, Lee, and Kay. I could have done without that. It wasn't pertinent to the story in my opinion.
2) Lee saved Kay from a gangster that we are to assume (based on what was told to us) pimped her out, and treated her poorly. This man made her do horrible things that would have left a scar on her psyche. So, it is hard to believe that a woman who was in her situation would find herself caught up between two men. One of which she often came onto very strong.
3) While it all did tie together, I did not need the added plot line of Bucky's love life. I wanted a crime story, not a romance one.
4) We get to the murder of Elizabeth Short about 70 pages into the book, and it quickly goes off the rails from there. While I appreciate James Ellroy giving Short the justice she never got in real life, it was just too unbelievable.
I will give credit where credit is due. Ellroy writes beautifully and builds a very passionate and dense story. I can see why he is a well-loved author. While I enjoyed the first (approximately) 80 pages, this book just wasn't for me. I did enjoy the deep dive into the detective's personal lives and how the murder affected them mentally. There was just too much going on outside of the actual crime itself. Maybe I would have gone into this with a different mindset if the title of the book wasn't literally The Black Dahlia.
This book is heavy with racial and homophobic slurs which was common with the times. So, if that is hard for you to stomach I don't suggest reading this.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: SEXUAL ASSAULT, INFIDELITY, TOURTRE, MURDER, HOMOPHOBIC/RACIAL SLURS (as used in the times of the 1940s)
POV: Singular, First Person
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Part of an interconnected series: Yes
First in series: Yes
Safe or Dark: Dark
The unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short AKA the Black Dahlia is what got me into true crime and the sordid world of serial killers. As crass as it sounds it is still to this day my favorite unsolved murder. I have researched it every which way but loose. Therefore, I wanted to love this book so bad. So very, very, bad. And I did for the first 124 pages. After that, it just fell apart. Don't get me wrong I knew this was a fictional story based on the actual murder. That wasn't an issue for me, what was an issue for me was the story itself.
I do want to mention that the noir vibes were vibing! I was very pleased with that.
I was not aware that The Black Dahlia was a book until a few years ago and ended up watching the movie of the same name when it was released in 2006. I usually like to read books before movie/television adaptions of them are released for two reasons, I like to get an idea of the full detailed story before stuff is omitted from the movie/show, and I like to build my description of a character in my head before I see who is cast in the movie/show. Since 2006 seems like it was eons ago, I had forgotten much about the storyline.
The story is told from the point of view of Dwight "Bucky" Bleichert, who is described as being 6'3 with dark hair, pale skin, and big buck teeth. Hence, his nickname. In the story, he is told by a woman that he would be "handsome if he got his teeth fixed." All in all, Bucky sounds like a good-looking guy. In the movie, Bleichert is played by Josh Hartnett who was a heartthrob in his own right in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Although he had the height, dark hair, and good looks, he failed to have the bucked teeth. These set of chompers were talked about so much in the book that picturing Hartnett often pulled me out of the story. That being said, I did adore Bucky Bleichert's character. Dare I say I had a crush on this fictional man?
The other main character is Leland "Lee" Blanchard. Bucky's wise-cracking smart-ass partner, who was described as having a ruddy complexion and sandy blonde hair. In the movie, he is portrayed by Aaron Eckhart. Now, we are not given as detailed of a description of Blanchard since the story is not being told from his point of view and the quick description that we do get comes from Bleichert. So, picturing Blanchard as Eckhart did not bother me so much.
Katherine "Kay" Lake is Lee's long-time girlfriend whom Bucky eventually falls in love with and vice versa. However, Kay throws off a lot of mixed signals and I was often unsure of her and Lee's relationship dynamics. I couldn't figure out if it was a romantic or friendly one. She made it clear that the two of them were not intimate. They become the Blanchard/Lake/Bleichert gang. That would be a good name for a law firm "Blanchard, Lake, & Bleichert attorneys-at-law". Three peas in a pod. While we get a fairly short description of Lake it is pointed out that she has basic features. A too-high forehead and a crooked nose were two that stood out to me. In the movie, she is played by Scarlett Johansson who is gorgeous. Again, picturing Johansson as Lake did not take me too much out of the story.
While I knew that this was not a true crime novel about the murder and was not going to be a factual book, there was just too much going on with the made-up storyline.
1) We get a peak into the (for lack of a better word) love-triangle, between Bucky, Lee, and Kay. I could have done without that. It wasn't pertinent to the story in my opinion.
2) Lee saved Kay from a gangster that we are to assume (based on what was told to us) pimped her out, and treated her poorly. This man made her do horrible things that would have left a scar on her psyche. So, it is hard to believe that a woman who was in her situation would find herself caught up between two men. One of which she often came onto very strong.
3) While it all did tie together, I did not need the added plot line of Bucky's love life. I wanted a crime story, not a romance one.
4) We get to the murder of Elizabeth Short about 70 pages into the book, and it quickly goes off the rails from there. While I appreciate James Ellroy giving Short the justice she never got in real life, it was just too unbelievable.
I will give credit where credit is due. Ellroy writes beautifully and builds a very passionate and dense story. I can see why he is a well-loved author. While I enjoyed the first (approximately) 80 pages, this book just wasn't for me. I did enjoy the deep dive into the detective's personal lives and how the murder affected them mentally. There was just too much going on outside of the actual crime itself. Maybe I would have gone into this with a different mindset if the title of the book wasn't literally The Black Dahlia.
This book is heavy with racial and homophobic slurs which was common with the times. So, if that is hard for you to stomach I don't suggest reading this.
kimham_bookstagram's review
4.0
The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy is a fictionalized account of a true and unsolved crime in the late 1940s in L.A. It took 67 pages before the plot finally began to unfold and I was close to DNF. Thankfully I stuck with it as it became intensely captivating.
The novel focuses on two LAPD officers whose lives are changed when they start working on the case. As they learn more about the victim, they get thrown into a world full of seedy sex, obsession, pornography, lies, murder and death.
This book is not for everyone. It contains some brutal, horrifyingly violent scenes, so please check TW.
I look forward to reading more of Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet. I recently picked up the next one, The Big Nowhere, at a library book sale.
P.S. After I finished the book, I rewatched the movie. Back in 2006, I found it to be a convoluted mess. Now that I’ve read the book, I still thought the movie was a convoluted mess, but it did make a tad bit more sense.
The novel focuses on two LAPD officers whose lives are changed when they start working on the case. As they learn more about the victim, they get thrown into a world full of seedy sex, obsession, pornography, lies, murder and death.
This book is not for everyone. It contains some brutal, horrifyingly violent scenes, so please check TW.
I look forward to reading more of Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet. I recently picked up the next one, The Big Nowhere, at a library book sale.
P.S. After I finished the book, I rewatched the movie. Back in 2006, I found it to be a convoluted mess. Now that I’ve read the book, I still thought the movie was a convoluted mess, but it did make a tad bit more sense.
casspro's review
3.0
It definitely takes a while to get into the book, but it's a good historical read. Not for the queasy.
allenjd's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25