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andriella's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.25
danhill's review against another edition
5.0
Disclaimer: I am a HUGE history nerd and I'm particularly enamored with this period in America; the 'New Frontier', the Rat Pack and the Kennedy's, Cuba, the Cold War etc.
Ellroy takes the same multi layered, labyrinth plotting he perfected in the LA Quartet and applies it to the dark underbelly of American history. Three characters all on a collision course with destiny.
Easily a top 5 novel for me. Absolutely epic, spanning years, with a fantastic cast of characters. The back half of the book really flies by too with a sense of quickening, expectant dread as all of the pieces move into place, plot within plots start to align, all building towards that day in Dallas.
Ellroy takes the same multi layered, labyrinth plotting he perfected in the LA Quartet and applies it to the dark underbelly of American history. Three characters all on a collision course with destiny.
Easily a top 5 novel for me. Absolutely epic, spanning years, with a fantastic cast of characters. The back half of the book really flies by too with a sense of quickening, expectant dread as all of the pieces move into place, plot within plots start to align, all building towards that day in Dallas.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Had high expectations for this and was rather disappointed. The characters are thinly sketched and evil, with everyone just trying to get their own. Ellroy tries to juggle too many threads and it would be a lot better with one less major character and/or subplot. Parts of it were great and I might get to the sequels at some point but not anytime soon.
2022 (re-read):
Decided to reread this so I could come full circle with Ellroy and yeah, it's better than I remember, though I still think the plot is unwieldy. It's a great book but I think Ellroy's better suited for the LA Quartet than these novels; though it is an incredible accomplishment, one few writers could hope to pull off. His ability to demystify American lore is second-to-none.
2022 (re-read):
Decided to reread this so I could come full circle with Ellroy and yeah, it's better than I remember, though I still think the plot is unwieldy. It's a great book but I think Ellroy's better suited for the LA Quartet than these novels; though it is an incredible accomplishment, one few writers could hope to pull off. His ability to demystify American lore is second-to-none.
heavenlyspit's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
4.5
halski's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bwky85's review against another edition
5.0
Character development was amazing. Weak characters become strong ones and vice versa. Great dialogue and use of historical figures. Would recommend to anyone.
captainfez's review against another edition
5.0
The first in another history-minded trilogy, American Tabloid unpicks the hem of the myth of Camelot while keeping an eye on the main chance. The prose is as jacked-up as half the characters, and it moves forward with a terrifying urgency.
Like his other works, there's a lot of character specificity and a lot of fine detail evoked. But the Underworld USA trilogy manages to more convincingly convey a sense of momentousness, of this-is-probably-how-it-happened. But it ain't pretty.
Reading this book is a bit like being repeatedly punched in the face by History. You know something has happened, and you know it's important and will leave lasting traces for the future. Though you can't help but feel as if Events had taken you out to an alley and kicked shit out of you.
Importantly, though, you're going to have to know History and Events to make sense of the barrage of blows. Ellroy makes no concession for any history classes you may have slept through: you're expected to know the general Camelot story, about Howard Hughes' druggy monomania (don't worry, the Monty Burns casino period will suffice) and about the Mob, pro- and anti-Castro factions, federal agencies of varying stripes, and how they just might have combined to facilitate the head-exploded death of JFK. If you're slow on the uptake, you'll find this a real drag: there's a lot you'll miss.
I suspect there was a lot of research on this sucker. If Ellroy managed this off the cuff, then everyone else should pack up and go home.
There's not a lot of sympathy for the Camelot crew here. Joe is evil, Bobby an axe-grinder and John a pants-man with more hair than sense. But they're not the only people given a serve: mobsters are blowjob-seeking, food-spitting, foul-mouthed douchebags. Cuban escapees are all either psychotic, ball-less or a short trip away from a smack-induced death. It's reductive, sure, but given the ground covered here it doesn't detract too much from the story.
It's ultimate conspiracy theory material, though it's told so convincingly you'll be firm in your belief that a gigantic hit-man, an alcoholic fucknut and a too-smooth game-player are responsible for THE defining event of the '60s. Sure, there's a lot of detail on big-name real-life figures - Hoover's omnipresence is terrifyingly well-written - but the story hangs on a trio of fearsome opportunists, fleshed out with panache.
This is show-off writing, but it's so compulsive you'll forgive the author. It's an almost perfect mix of speed, popcorn and history.
Like his other works, there's a lot of character specificity and a lot of fine detail evoked. But the Underworld USA trilogy manages to more convincingly convey a sense of momentousness, of this-is-probably-how-it-happened. But it ain't pretty.
Reading this book is a bit like being repeatedly punched in the face by History. You know something has happened, and you know it's important and will leave lasting traces for the future. Though you can't help but feel as if Events had taken you out to an alley and kicked shit out of you.
Importantly, though, you're going to have to know History and Events to make sense of the barrage of blows. Ellroy makes no concession for any history classes you may have slept through: you're expected to know the general Camelot story, about Howard Hughes' druggy monomania (don't worry, the Monty Burns casino period will suffice) and about the Mob, pro- and anti-Castro factions, federal agencies of varying stripes, and how they just might have combined to facilitate the head-exploded death of JFK. If you're slow on the uptake, you'll find this a real drag: there's a lot you'll miss.
I suspect there was a lot of research on this sucker. If Ellroy managed this off the cuff, then everyone else should pack up and go home.
There's not a lot of sympathy for the Camelot crew here. Joe is evil, Bobby an axe-grinder and John a pants-man with more hair than sense. But they're not the only people given a serve: mobsters are blowjob-seeking, food-spitting, foul-mouthed douchebags. Cuban escapees are all either psychotic, ball-less or a short trip away from a smack-induced death. It's reductive, sure, but given the ground covered here it doesn't detract too much from the story.
It's ultimate conspiracy theory material, though it's told so convincingly you'll be firm in your belief that a gigantic hit-man, an alcoholic fucknut and a too-smooth game-player are responsible for THE defining event of the '60s. Sure, there's a lot of detail on big-name real-life figures - Hoover's omnipresence is terrifyingly well-written - but the story hangs on a trio of fearsome opportunists, fleshed out with panache.
This is show-off writing, but it's so compulsive you'll forgive the author. It's an almost perfect mix of speed, popcorn and history.
audraelizabeth's review against another edition
3.0
Gave me a different side of the 1960's that I wasn't expecting. Only time will tell who the ending was perpetrated by.