A review by ajnel
American Tabloid by James Ellroy

dark informative reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"American Tabloid", the first novel in James Elroy's "American Underworld" historic crime trilogy, covering the five years from 1958 to 1963.  An era where men like  John, Joe and Robert Kennedy, Jack Ruby, J Edgar Hoover, Jimmy Hoffa and Howard Hughes, played pivotal roles.  Elroy expertly creates natural personas intertwined with historical events to give the novel an almost true crime feel; an utterly amazing feat.  As Vikram Jayanti said, “It’s raw, visceral, brutal, profane, hilarious, and deeply true about the darkness underlying the American Empire: politics as street crime moved up a rung.”