Well, a lot of Ellroy (I would even say everything) is in
comic-book
style, especially the dialogue. In the L.A. Quartet, all the
characters
pretty much talk like Ellroy himself. It's not a criticism
but simply an
observation.
Since the comparison with Willeford came up, I would like to
point out
that one of this master's many special talents was the
natural way in
which his characters develop and talk.
A superb example of this is his _The Shark Infested Custard_,
where the
characters are so finely drawn, down to the last detail, that
the novel
creates the illusion of being an actual chronicle (instead of
an
outrageous work of fiction).
Ellroy is a great writer, possibly one of the best currently
writing
mysteries (but is he, still?), but he is hardly a
sophisticated author.
Regards,
Mario Taboada
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