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connorlowsley's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ellyt36's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
seamuspuebla's review against another edition
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
tommooney's review against another edition
5.0
No one but Ellroy could pull this off. This is a takedown of the Kennedys. Of Jack and Bobby, and Joe too. An expose of the lurid collusion between the mob, the CIA, the FBI, the teamsters and the government. It's 10 books of plot rammed into 600 frantic, bloody, filthy pages.
It's genius. But now I'm worn out and tired. I feel like I got a shakedown from Pete Bondurant. Until next time, Mr Ellroy.
It's genius. But now I'm worn out and tired. I feel like I got a shakedown from Pete Bondurant. Until next time, Mr Ellroy.
worm_variations's review against another edition
4.0
I didn’t realize this until I finished the book, but I started reading it on 11/22.
deepakchecks's review against another edition
4.0
The freshness that the initial James Ellroy works produced wears off this time, but still an impeccable work dealing with the American underground, with the trademark James Ellroy prose style making it highly readable.
joeam's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book. The Underworld USA trilogy is just *chef's kiss* MWAH
cmcrockford's review against another edition
5.0
"HE HAD TO SEE THE PRICE."
Dig the story of America. Dig how Ellroy combines drama and lit.
Hateful men doing what they need to for themselves. Getting damned for it all. Cool prose, exact dialogue. He gives no fucks about discomfort. Niceness. All that bullshit. Not that he likes either - just no telling you what to think.
One of the Great American Novels. Won't be in the lit canon because no one wants to admit this is how it went. This is the USA.
Dig the story of America. Dig how Ellroy combines drama and lit.
Hateful men doing what they need to for themselves. Getting damned for it all. Cool prose, exact dialogue. He gives no fucks about discomfort. Niceness. All that bullshit. Not that he likes either - just no telling you what to think.
One of the Great American Novels. Won't be in the lit canon because no one wants to admit this is how it went. This is the USA.
johnnyb1954's review against another edition
2.0
I got about half way through and probably won't finish. It's over long and over the top and over rated. The racial epithets, the gross sexual proclivities, the violence are all objectionable because they are just sensational, gratuitous flash - they don't illuminate the characters or help understands the times. All the white male characters are the same. All the Cubans are just extras and as subservient to the plot as they are to the characters in the book. This novel supposedly lays bare the Mafia/CIA/FBI intertwining a that led to the JFK assassination. But every character and plot development n the book is so unbelievable. it makes the conspiracy theories seem completely absurd. It seems that Elroy just made up characters and assigned them the names of real people such as Hughes, Hoffa, Hoover, etc. yes, I realize some of their "quirks" depicted here are historically accurate, but they are drawn too cartoonishly. Perhaps I should have taken more of a clue from the title. It a tabloid like the Weekly World News.