Carrie:
You probably have enough suggestions by now, but I first fell
in love with Ellroy's short stuff. I would recommend "Dick
Contino's Blues," which I first saw in a long-ago issue of
Granta. The characterizations there might seem cartoonish,
too - but I think some of them really acted that way.
Another of his short stories "Gravy Train," appears in
"Hard-Boiled: An Anthology of Crime Fiction" which you should
get anyway, if you don't have it.
I generally like Ellroy a lot, but I know what you mean about
the "stylized" writing. Maybe that's why I find his short
stories more appealing. It's like eating really rich
chocolate fudge -- better enjoyed in smaller bites.
Hugh
----------
>From: "Carrie Pruett" <
pruettc@hotmail.com>
>To:
rara-avis@icomm.ca
>Subject: RARA-AVIS: Ellroy
>Date: Fri, Dec 21, 2001, 8:37 AM
>
> I'm curious, with the recent discussion of the LA
Quartet books, if I should
> give Ellroy another try. I read "LA Confidential" a
few years ago after
> loving the film, and though I liked a lot of things
about the book, it left
> a bad taste in my mouth. I thought the story was
good, but the stylized
> writing, rather cartoonish characterizations, and
the humorless, moralizing
> tone that seemed to be behind the whole exercise was
too much. So - if I
> felt that way about LAC, will I probably feel that
way about all of the
> books? I've heard "Black Dahlia" mentioned the most
often, is that the best
> one to start back with?
>
> Carrie
>
>
>
>
>
>
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