Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Murder
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Excellent noir from James Ellroy. In many ways it feels like a more assured reiteration of his previous novel Clandestine, hinging on some similar beats and structure. His examination of the inherent brutality in our power structures is sharp and unsparing. His imagery is memorable: a maggot-infested corpse underneath a tattered American flag. Horrifying abuse of the star-struck under the Hollywood sign as "Hooray for Hollywood" blares from a speaker for the adulation of the self-congratulatory. It's also a great exploration of sexual repression, and the lashings-out caused by the lack of an outlet. Ellroy is a master stylist and his characters, while often unsympathetic, more than warrant empathy and understanding.
Black Dahlia.. Gwynplaine.. the Joker.. I am starting to feel like Oedipa Maas..
Three stars because I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Would probably give 2 and a half if I could though, because of the ridiculous plot. Maybe reading all of Agatha Christie’s work has raised my standards too much when it comes to mysteries (no one has ever come close.. she was an actual genius), but this plot was truly laughable. Wayyy too many “twists”. One great twist is worth more than 7 silly ones that don’t make sense. And I’m not sure if this is a mystery writing “rule”, but there should only be one great denouement. Not several. More than one denouement becomes extremely tedious and the reader stops caring.
Would probably give 2 and a half if I could though, because of the ridiculous plot. Maybe reading all of Agatha Christie’s work has raised my standards too much when it comes to mysteries (no one has ever come close.. she was an actual genius), but this plot was truly laughable. Wayyy too many “twists”. One great twist is worth more than 7 silly ones that don’t make sense. And I’m not sure if this is a mystery writing “rule”, but there should only be one great denouement. Not several. More than one denouement becomes extremely tedious and the reader stops caring.
June 2022. Crime/mystery/noir about a fictionalized version of a famous crime and a world full of crooked cops and lawyers. Fantastic noir vibes, really an excellent piece of business.
On the waitlist for the second one on audiobook from Libby app.
“The Black Dahlia” by James Ellroy.
On the waitlist for the second one on audiobook from Libby app.
“The Black Dahlia” by James Ellroy.
Enjoyable mishmash of rumors and theories around the real case, but LA Confidential was far superior.
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
My first noir. It got a little complicated at the end. Some loose ends were tied up which I had forgotten about. A second reading probably would help.