American Tabloid

Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC!
Review:

This book is tremendous -- I'm so glad that I decided to pick up "L.A. Confidential" (my first Ellroy novel) a few months ago. Since then, I've read six more, including "American Tabloid." I have to say that it runs a CLOSE second to "L.A. Confidential," which I'm partial to probably only because it was my first experience with Ellroy.

"American Tabloid" was fascinating to me, partly because (since I'm only a teenager) I'm unfamiliar with most of the events of the 1950s that the book refers to. This gave me a crash course in recent American history and made it a hell of a lot more exciting, jaded, cynical, and distorted than any textbook possibly could. "American Tabloid" shows us a view of the Kennedys that sharply contrasts the reverent adoration of today's America. The other reason I was fascinated by "American Tabloid" was because of Ellroy's great characters -- the three main characters (Ward, Kemper, and Pete) undergo drastic transformations throughout the novel, making them alternately despicable and likable. Like his other works, the character development is this novel's greatest strength!

This is a fantastic read -- absolutely unforgettable and compelling. It's a must-read for the Ellroy fan! If you liked his take on L.A., you'll definitely like his take on the great U.S.A. I can't wait for the next two of this trilogy!!!

Rating:
Summary: It bothers me that we like it.
Review: Ellroy is more talented than, say, Dennis Lehane. He is consistently dark where Elmore Leonard can be whimsical. His violence transcends the shoot-em-up stuff of Stephen Hunter. He has a gift for dialogue and can plumb deep into a character's psyche. He is undoubtedly street wise. But American Tabloid is still marked by graphic violence, rumor, gossip, sex, drugs, and perversion. Beneath the veneer of getting to the real historical facts, there is a lot of 'skank' here. And I think we need to ask ourselves if we are being titillated by an expanded version of "Hush-Hush". We need to examine why we are drawn to the episodes of murder and violence. A writer like Joseph Conrad examined the dark side of man without incessant violence leaping from every page. I'm not trying to be a prig; I'm honestly trying to understand if this is a 'moral' book. I'm also trying to understand whether this is 'good' writing. The characters of Ward Littel and Boyd Kemper are interesting in their tragic dimensions. Big Pete is simply a goon; to attempt to pull anything else out of his character is folly. We already know that JFK was Bill Clinton on steroids, that Hoover was an malevolent closet queen, that the mob is powerful, evil and pervasive. Ellroy does a nice job drawing a conflicted RFK. The book does an effective job of exposing the evil that lurks beneath the surface of historical events. The question is whether or not Ellroy's writing transcends this evil.

Rating:
Summary: Savage, Dark, Awesome!
Review: Ellroy's "American Tabloid" takes the Kennedy-Bay of Pigs era and throws it in the shredder, hacking through the Golden Age myths of Camelot and the reader's pre-conceptions about the JFK presidency.

America has never looked so seedy or corrupt. In a work that should be accompanied by a Quentin Tarantino-selected soundtrack, Ellroy spins a tale of duplicity, false alliances, and mutual interest that alternately unites and tears apart the men of the CIA, the FBI, the Mob, the Teamsters, and teven he insane Howard Hughes. The trio of anti-heroes who drive the story forward, Pete Bondurant (hand-cuff snapping hired muscle), Kemper Boyd (Kennedy wannabe from the CIA), and Ward Littel (fallen FBI angel) rub shoulders with the Kennedys, J. Edgar Hoover, and other infamous movers and shakers from the period.

One hopes that Ellroy's exhilirating tale is not historically accurate, but Ellroy weaves enough historical detail that you feel as if "you are there, live!" If even one tenth of Ellroy's tale *is* true, then we are reminded how fragile and savage our American experiment with democracy really is.

Rating:
Summary: America's Defining Moment Through a Jaundiced Eye
Review: Ellroy's scattered, machine gun prose and deeply flawed characters can alienate a casual reader, but his work remains a rewarding experience for those willing to dig in and wallow in the mire his creations exist in. American Tabloid takes that most sacred moment in history, Camelot, and cuts it open along the belly. From the point of view of three men in the know and behind the scenes of that times power brokers, Ellroy shows that the difference between crime and politics is razor thin and often fatal. Lacking the holy self-righteousness of Oliver Stone's JFK, American Tabloid is another fictional telling of the rise and fall of the Kennedy Administration, but not only does Ellroy have the canvas to widen his lens considerably (encompassing Cuba, Vegas, Washington and more), his film-noir filter paints a more believable, and much darker picture of that time in history. It's not idealism vs. power-mongering, it's simply power vs. power, with a healthy dose of vengeance, double-crosses, and outright hate coming down on all sides.

If you're already an Ellroy fan, it's beautiful leap from his L.A. novels, containing a more coherent story-line with less wandering than L.A. Confidential. If you're not already a fan, it's 600+ page length and slang heavy rapid-fire prose might be daunting at first, but determined readers will be sucked in completely.

Rating:
Summary: A Master at the Top of his Game
Review: In "American Tabloid", James Ellroy achieves what few authors ever accomplish. He flawlessly writes his own characters into the political and mob world of the late 1950's and early 1960's, and he makes his plot believeable. As you read conversations that include, JFK, RFK, Sam Giancanna and other famous mob bosses, you have to wonder "this IS fiction, isn't it"

"American Tabloid" focuses on the mafia's role in the election of JFK, the Bay of Pigs, and the JFK assasination. As in all of Ellroy's books, no one gets away clean. Pete Boudurant, mob bagman and muscle; Kemper Boyd, FBI agent, CIA operative, looking out only for number one; and Ward J. Little, an FBI agent with a bizzare love/hate obsession with the Kennedy's. These ruthless men and their dealings provide the framework for one of the most brutal, ambitious novels ever written.

Ellroy has finally perfected his staccatto prose that he dabbled with in "LA Confidential" and experimented with openly in "White Jazz". The effect is like a literary high, as the book manages to develop several complex charchters with 50's/60's slang and short sentances. The book picks up quickly and never lets up. This book turned me onto the world of James Ellroy, and any reader with an interest in crime fiction needs to read this. Ellroy's second masterpiece, after "LA Confidential".

Rating:
Summary: American Tabloid by James Ellroy
Review: Listen, let's cut through the long, lenthy review process. This book is violent, bitter, corrupt, and brillant. I have never read a book like it, and along with the follow up volume 'The Cold Six Thousand' it represents a blurred and chaotic glimpse into a utterly fascinating time period. Ellroy mixes real characters (Sinatra, Howard Hughs, J. E. Hoover, various mafia figures) and his fictional players seamlessly. He distorts time and the reader's perception of what is transpiring before them. The 'Bay of Pigs' landing is a highlight, and the last line leaves you wanting more. Luckily there is a sequel, which almost tops this book. Not recommended as bedtime reading for the youngsters, but well worth the ride.

Rating:
Summary: Gritty, Tough and Excellent
Review: The plot of "American Tabloid" is too complex to sum up in one paragraph or in five paragraphs. Basically the story is about the mob, the Kennedys, the FBI, the CIA, J. Edgar Hoover, Howard Hughes, Jimmy Hoffa and every important person in the American scene from 1958 through 1963. Each character is carefully drawn out and excellently written. The three main characters Kemper Boyd, Ward Littell and Pete Bondurant are fascinating...Each one has his own strengths and weaknesses, each one is amazingly realistic. You can on and on about the plot, but the true story are the characters. You have the squealers, the enforcers and the mob wannabe types, everyone has an agenda and they all are on the make.

I admired Ellroy's style of short sentences, short paragraphs and short chapters. I enjoy smart characters and quick plots. Furthermore, I like being challenged by a writer. You have to pause when you read "American Tabloid", Ellroy serves up so much detail in one chapter that it would take some authors half a book and they still wouldn't cover it as well. Each chapter moves the story forward and all of characters serve a purpose. Rarely have I enjoyed a story more.

This is my first James Ellroy book and it will not be my last. I hope they are all this good.