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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
This was one of those books that I needed to pay really close attention to in order to understand what was happening. Mostly because of the 1940's vocabulary and the police acronyms. This wasn't a bad thing though, it made for an immersive read. The dialogue, too, really sets the scene for the story, pulling me straight back in time.
The gritty underbelly of L.A. is on display in this horrific murder mystery, where nobody is as honest or good as they seem. It's a harsh, dark world and it makes you wonder if there are any good guys when everybody seems to be shades of grey. It wasn't a depressing book but it does show how brutal life can be no matter who you are--lowly police detective or carefree heiress.
Recommended for people who like noir, gumshoe mysteries and characters with plenty of black streaking through their pure souls.
The gritty underbelly of L.A. is on display in this horrific murder mystery, where nobody is as honest or good as they seem. It's a harsh, dark world and it makes you wonder if there are any good guys when everybody seems to be shades of grey. It wasn't a depressing book but it does show how brutal life can be no matter who you are--lowly police detective or carefree heiress.
Recommended for people who like noir, gumshoe mysteries and characters with plenty of black streaking through their pure souls.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Solid fare - good characters and an interesting story
It's not that I got 5 stars worth of enjoyment out of this, but it's certainly a 5 star novel in my mind. Gritty in the extreme. Disturbing. There are no good guys here. The edition I read included an afterword from the author written after the motion picture came out. A gut wrenching personal insight into Ellroy's life and how it relates to his telling of this story. Can't describe this as my cup of tea but I lost lots of sleep not being able to put it down.
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this novel becomes, by turns, darker and more disturbing. The narrator becomes more deeply emeshed in the tragedy of the Dahlia while his own life becomes torridly intertwined with the people responsible for her death. The short, terse chapters and the time appropriate dialogue combine to spin this tale out. A worthwhile read.
I did not enjoy this book. It was thoroughly unpleasant, which is to be expected in a book that is completely noir. I can deal with it in movie form; spending 2 hours with horrible people who make bad decisions is doable. Spending the time to read a 350-page book, though, is something totally different. I just think this genre isn't for me. As soon as we finished the scene of Bucky having dinner with the Spragues, I realized that I just needed to power through the unlikable characters and jargoned text.
Ellroy tells the story of Bucky Bleichert, an ex-boxer cop in 1940s LA. He partners up with another ex-boxer cop, falls into an odd relationship with the partner and the partner's girl, and winds up investigating the murder of the Black Dahlia. The writing sounds like stereotypical film noir dialogue; it's all jargon and slang. The book spends WAY too much time on the background of Bucky and Lee; I just don't care about boxing that much.
At its heart, it is a mystery, and the revelations and twists and misdirections toward the end of the book are legitimately interesting; it just took forever to get there.
This book is a classic of the genre, I've gathered. I guess what I learned is that it's just not a genre I want to commit any more time to.
Ellroy tells the story of Bucky Bleichert, an ex-boxer cop in 1940s LA. He partners up with another ex-boxer cop, falls into an odd relationship with the partner and the partner's girl, and winds up investigating the murder of the Black Dahlia. The writing sounds like stereotypical film noir dialogue; it's all jargon and slang. The book spends WAY too much time on the background of Bucky and Lee; I just don't care about boxing that much.
At its heart, it is a mystery, and the revelations and twists and misdirections toward the end of the book are legitimately interesting; it just took forever to get there.
Spoiler
From the description, I had assumed that the book would be much more about Lee and Bucky, though Lee disappears entirely fairly early into the story (though obviously his presence remains). I was also surprised that the book solved the Dahlia mystery; I had spent a lot of the book wondering how Ellroy would handle the unsolved nature of the murder. The resolution was satisfying, though I did get annoyed with the "No, WAIT!" twist after twist.This book is a classic of the genre, I've gathered. I guess what I learned is that it's just not a genre I want to commit any more time to.
Although based on an actual murder, the novel was too farfetched for me. I still enjoyed the author's dialogue, prose, and characters though.
A brilliantly constructed mystery that's as much about the city it's set in as it is about the crime at the heart of the plot. The sense of a city descending into hell is palpable, the characters and the sense of place sticking to the reader's hands like glue; as rich as the characters are, the way women are treated in this story is deeply troubling and it's hard to discern from this book alone if that's Ellory or hos characters, or both.
Dark, macabre, and daring, The Black Dahlia is a must-read for any fan of noir crime. The characters tug you into the storyline, and the vivid descriptions of the crimes, as well as the relentless pursuit of a killer, keep you coming back.