RARA-AVIS: Re: Street Kings (Is Ellroy Losing his Halo?)

From: Michael Sharp ( msharp@binghamton.edu)
Date: 04 May 2008


Mark is right. _American Tabloid_ is absolute genius, and the closest thing to an enduring work of art that anyone writing crime fiction produced in the late 20th century. That it's reviled by a significant number of people only makes me love it more. It is indeed unreadable at times. It's relentless in its tabloidy style. But the cumulative effect is astonishing.

I don't see where it's my place to judge / talk about his so-called
"mommy issues." I don't care. I care about his writing, and while I haven't loved it All, his best stuff puts most other writers (crime or non-crime writers) to shame. Daring, innovative, risky. The opposite of every damned pale imitation of Chandler that comes down the pike.

mds



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