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mastermastermnd 's review for:
The Black Dahlia
by James Ellroy
Excellent noir from James Ellroy. In many ways it feels like a more assured reiteration of his previous novel Clandestine, hinging on some similar beats and structure. His examination of the inherent brutality in our power structures is sharp and unsparing. His imagery is memorable: a maggot-infested corpse underneath a tattered American flag. Horrifying abuse of the star-struck under the Hollywood sign as "Hooray for Hollywood" blares from a speaker for the adulation of the self-congratulatory. It's also a great exploration of sexual repression, and the lashings-out caused by the lack of an outlet. Ellroy is a master stylist and his characters, while often unsympathetic, more than warrant empathy and understanding.