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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
As a noir/hardboiled fiction lover, I would like to thank Mr. Ellroy for putting everything I hate about the genre into one book, or rather four as I dragged myself through all four samey miserable novels of his original L.A. Quartet. I think my main criticism is that his characters are all mild variations on what Ellroy sees as the 40/50s man who is violent, usually sex-crazed, defined by his job, and gets obsessed very easily. Now, this type of character can work if they have charm or likeable supporting cast, but everyone's miserable here. His plots are a tangle that goes for both the profound impact of realization for his lead character and the presumed realism of only kind of making sense. The blow for the first is that his characters are two-dimensional garbage as I mentioned earlier. Th blow for the second is that he treats the end of all his books like the end of a murder mystery and explains the shit out of them for way too long. Honestly, I've seen people like the "nihilism" of this, but I think nihilism only works when you care about anything happening. The titular Dahlia herself is reduced to some plot points and disappears for large chunks of the story. I do not understand the praise.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
This book, unlike My Dark Places by the same author, most certainly does not fizzle out at the end. A great book that is made all the more better - and believable - by also being a truly well-told crime drama. The drama works independently of the subject, which is sensational enough. This is one good, dirty, gritty, real detective story.
Overwrought wallowing in the sordid. Sheds no light. Not especially entertaining.
Read this one years ago but remember it being a very good story and well written.
Ho finito questo libro e sono rimasta completamente e inevitabilmente scioccata per una buona mezz'ora, cercando di capire: (1 il finale (2 la soluzione del caso (3 tutte le ingarbugliate emozioni derivate da questa lettura. Questo è uno di quei libri dove sai che quella determinata cosa non va bene così, vorresti andare da quello specifico personaggio e urlargli in faccia che sta sbagliando che non si deve demoralizzare che sicuramente ci sono altri modi di agire, ma nula lo ferma e lui/lei continua imperterito/a, questo poi comporta delle conseguenze assurde, dove poi rimani con la mascella spalancata al solo leggerle. Questo libro ve lo consiglio ma nel frattempo se siete persone facilmente impressionabili evitate perché arriva un punto dove bisogna avere davvero tanto ma tanto fegato. Quando finisce rimani davvero di sasso perché il finale è veramente sorprendente. Io poi non so gli altri ma non sono riuscita a decifrarlo perché è veramente enigmatico. I due protagonisti nello svolgersi delle loro vicende metterano davvero in mostra dove si può spingere una persona.
Despite the book revolving around one of the nastiest unsolved murders in American history, the book is a lighter and softer Ellroy. It's still black noir, but definitely less nilhistic than The Big Nowhere and less cynical than LA. Confidential.
The book isn't necessarily about the case itself, but more about the psychological effect it has on two LAPD detectives and how it destroys their lives over a period of months and years. All of the characters are vividly realized and are riddled with human contradictions and complex emotions.
You can tell Ellroy was working some things out with this one. His mother was murdered in LA 12 years after Elizabeth Short was, and the wretched psychological state of the protagonist is surely more than a little bit autobiographical.
Only real complaint is that middle section of the book where Bucky goes to TJ does drag and could have been trimmed a bit.
The book isn't necessarily about the case itself, but more about the psychological effect it has on two LAPD detectives and how it destroys their lives over a period of months and years. All of the characters are vividly realized and are riddled with human contradictions and complex emotions.
You can tell Ellroy was working some things out with this one. His mother was murdered in LA 12 years after Elizabeth Short was, and the wretched psychological state of the protagonist is surely more than a little bit autobiographical.
Only real complaint is that middle section of the book where Bucky goes to TJ does drag and could have been trimmed a bit.
This is absolute garbage. It is supposed to be similar to pulp fiction detective novels, but mostly it was just a lot of being awful about women and overworked and still underdeveloped prose. I gave Mr. Ellroy one last chance. I wont make this mistake ever again.
What the hell did I just read...
This book was so crazy, twisted, and graphic, but I loved it. Once I got through the boxing match at the beginning of the book, the rest was hard for me to put down.
I had heard of the infamous “Black Dahlia Case” and was always confusing the real case with this book. This book takes the famous case and spins a story around what could have happened. The actual case remains unsolved.
Dwight “Bucky” Bleichert wasn’t necessarily a likable character, but he wasn’t so unlikable it was hard to read. In the past I’ve read books where all the characters are awful people and that ruins the book for me. Bucky isn’t a terrible person, but his obsession with the Black Dahlia case leads him to make questionable decisions.
I could go on and on about this book, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers. I’ll leave you with this, it’s a great murder mystery about the dark side of Hollywood. And who doesn’t love a book written in 40’s slang?
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This book was so crazy, twisted, and graphic, but I loved it. Once I got through the boxing match at the beginning of the book, the rest was hard for me to put down.
I had heard of the infamous “Black Dahlia Case” and was always confusing the real case with this book. This book takes the famous case and spins a story around what could have happened. The actual case remains unsolved.
Dwight “Bucky” Bleichert wasn’t necessarily a likable character, but he wasn’t so unlikable it was hard to read. In the past I’ve read books where all the characters are awful people and that ruins the book for me. Bucky isn’t a terrible person, but his obsession with the Black Dahlia case leads him to make questionable decisions.
I could go on and on about this book, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers. I’ll leave you with this, it’s a great murder mystery about the dark side of Hollywood. And who doesn’t love a book written in 40’s slang?
OTHER PLACES I LIVE ON THE INTERNET
Art, Crafts, & Books: Blog | Instagram
Travel Stories & Tips: Blog | Instagram
Classy Cats in Classics: Tumblr | Instagram