January 19, 2024
Ellroy has fallen in love with his style at the expense of narrative and coherence, to say nothing of economy. That style combines overly mannered fastidiousness and arcane usages with manic bebop hipster wooo-wooo. This one connects an old gold robbery with war frenzy even as Nazis and Stalinists combine to prepare for the post war world using said gold. The plot is impenetrable and incomprehensible (with incredible levels of violence) albeit recounted in micro detail because no one knows what’s going on - including the author! As a character says during the drawn out ending, “This deal has never made sense, and it never will. There’s too much to it, and it goes back too far.” Yup!
Also: Orson Welles wasn’t fat in 1941, the year of Citizen Kane.
Also: Orson Welles wasn’t fat in 1941, the year of Citizen Kane.