Re: RARA-AVIS: Ellroy


Bruce Townley (btownley@sirius.com)
Thu, 30 Dec 1999 15:56:28 -0800 (PST)


On Thu, 30 Dec 1999 at14:49 James Rogers sent: Ellroy

>This flash style bugged me in
>_White Jazz_ and also when I recently re-read _Big Nowhere_. He also has
>the least plausible solutions to the "whodunit" aspect of any author that I
>can recall. But you STILL need to read him. Unlike so many HB writers, the
>guy seems to actually understand heartbreak and despair, and he can
>communicate those emotions with almost unbelievable intensity. I can't do
>justice to him in this regard - you'll have to read him. The stories are
>not light reading, I can assure you of that. Probably _American Tabloid_
>demonstrates the best command of plotting, but if you are like a lot of us
>on this list you will finish _Black Dahlia_ and immediately run to the
>bookstore to buy as much of the rest as you can carry. In my opinion his
>books are still improving and, if he could lower the volume (and the
>violence, which is pretty heavy even by HB standards) he could be a really
>great, great writer. As is, I think you will love his stuff.

An excellent nutshell examination of the appeal of Ellroy's jivey style, James. Good work!

Bruce T. = btownley@sirius.com
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

"I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of crowds."

-Isaac Newton

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