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A review by chaun_sox
American Tabloid by James Ellroy
3.0
The story starts off slow but builds/crescendos excellently. The characters are complex and dynamic and not the caricatures you might expect from typical 50s/60s noir. The plot is complicated and obviously contrived, but never in a negative way. I loved the twists and turns and felt myself empathizing with the characters despite their MANY flaws. I also gained interest in the Kennedy years which is a subject towards which I've always felt pretty apathetic.
All of that said, the narrative style just wasn't for me. I don't know how to describe it other than the narration feels aggressive and cynical(on purpose). And the excessive alliteration drive me mad, but it is styled like an old political tabloid, so I understand why. I just couldn't enjoy it for whatever reason. I dreaded picking the book up and could only read 3-5 pages at a time because it was so tedious. Despite the endorsements in my first paragraph, I had to struggle and force my way through this book in a way that I never have with any book previously. I'm glad I read it, but I doubt I'll be reading any more of Ellroy's novels. That's it....that's my review.
All of that said, the narrative style just wasn't for me. I don't know how to describe it other than the narration feels aggressive and cynical(on purpose). And the excessive alliteration drive me mad, but it is styled like an old political tabloid, so I understand why. I just couldn't enjoy it for whatever reason. I dreaded picking the book up and could only read 3-5 pages at a time because it was so tedious. Despite the endorsements in my first paragraph, I had to struggle and force my way through this book in a way that I never have with any book previously. I'm glad I read it, but I doubt I'll be reading any more of Ellroy's novels. That's it....that's my review.