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March 28, 2005

Brown's Requiem

James Ellroy wrote L.A. Confidential, which inspired a film you may have seen about a guy who uncovers corruption in the L.A.P.D. and almost dies for his trouble. Brown's Requiem is apparently Ellroy's first book. It has the same Série noire, L.A., corrupt, violent plot and tone.

Ellroy says in his preface that, "Brown's Requiem is heavily beholden to Raymond Chandler." It also recalls the book of Dashiell Hammett stories someone gave me years ago. In that way Ellroy is making new antiques, like a carpenter turning out Louis XIV chairs. If you look closely you see some of the new chairs are more uniform than the old ones, the joints fit together more closely and the upholstery has a more even weave.

Brown's Requiem is probably not Ellroy's masterpiece. I haven't read the others. This one fits together well, without too many of the misaligned dovetails you find in bad novels where the author writes outside of his experience but inside yours.

Posted by Mark at March 28, 2005 07:42 AM