tieresias@att.net wrote: Kerry, as for your earlier
contention that Ellroy explores the themes of the "chaotic"
20th century world, I disagree whole-heartedly with that.
IMO, the only landscape Ellroy is exploring (mytho-poetic or
otherwise) is the interior landscape of his own dark, twisted
psyche (which is part of what makes his non-fiction work, "My
Dark Places" such riveting stuff). If he's working out his
issues and getting paid for it, great for him. But I find
nothing epic about his obsession with corruption, and
*over*-emphasis on the profane.
********** I see what you mean! The dirty, mean, corrupted
streets of Los Angeles that Ellroy portrays are just some
twisted personal fantasy of his, with no foundation in
reality. In the real world cops are honest, racism doesn't
exist, there's no poverty, and Ward, June, Wally, and Beaver
wake up every morning to a wonderful new day of promise and
prosperity. Yeah, right.
It's entirely possible that Ellroy has a "dark, twisted
psyche," but that doesn't make the world he paints in the
dark shades of noir any less significant.
And I'm clueless about your last statement. Epic simply means
the darn book is over 500 pages, and corruption and an
"*over*-emphasis on the profane" are standard characteristics
of noir. If you don't like that sort of writing, I suggest
you stay away from the works of William Lindsay Gresham,
Cornell Woolrich, Jim Thompson, Horace McCoy, James Cain, and
David Goodis.
miker
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