Re: RARA-AVIS: Re: Hardboiled genealogy

From: Brian Thornton ( tieresias@worldnet.att.net)
Date: 07 Feb 2006


Robert Elkin wrote:

> Prof. Abbott--
> If you're going to do an Ellroy cop novel, White Jazz
> is the over-the-top example; Black Dahlia, while a
> good read, uncovers no significant new ground, in
> terms of form or subject.
> Just a note.

On the other hand, THE BLACK DAHLIA has a discernible plot, realistic dialogue, engaging characters. "Over the top" is one way to describe WHITE JAZZ, I suppose. Especially if you finish the description by adding a few choices words: "So over the top that it strays into the realm of unintentional self-parody." I found it virtually unreadable. So, as I have with several of the works of James Joyce and Leo Tolstoy, I'm going to have to take the word of far larger brains that it has some sort of literary value.

For my money, it made it clear to me once and for all that there was no cesspit too rank for Ellroy to want to roll around in.

Your Mileage May Vary.

Brian Thornton

RARA-AVIS home page: http://www.miskatonic.org/rara-avis/
  Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rara-avis-l/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
     rara-avis-l-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 07 Feb 2006 EST