bundy23's review against another edition
3.0
As pure entertainment it’s 3.5, as literature it’s barely 1.5. The biggest downfall is that Ellroy loves the sound of his own voice so much that he has to over-describe or over-analyse everything.
cmorris2022's review against another edition
4.0
I'm really enjoying James Ellroy's twisted noir, especially the Lloyd Hopkins series. Lots of intrigue and sexual overtones. It keeps the reader very engaged!
booksnguitars's review against another edition
4.0
Another typically great book from Ellroy, my favorite crime novelist and a great writer. Gritty, tense, and loaded with broken people, including the protagonist, Lloyd Hopkins, who apparently appears in another of Ellroy's books.
Set in 1984, and proving that the author can write for any era, and powerfully at that. This one involves a deviant Psychiatrist and his group of minions that he manipulates to further his own psychosis. Great how the characters layers are peeled away, gradually revealing their flaws.
Set in 1984, and proving that the author can write for any era, and powerfully at that. This one involves a deviant Psychiatrist and his group of minions that he manipulates to further his own psychosis. Great how the characters layers are peeled away, gradually revealing their flaws.
darwin8u's review
3.0
"Guys with our kind of juice should f-up once in a while out of noblesse oblige."
- James Ellroy, Because the Night
Book 2 in Ellroy's L.A. Noir trilogy (or Lloyd Hopkins Trilogy). In this book Sgt Hopkins is trying to figure out a bizarre killing AND the disappearance of an exceptional undercover cop. It all leads to a Timothy Leary/Charles Manson mashup whose band of rich misfits isn't Ellroy's best. The psychiatrist trope appears better developed in later Ellroy novels. Like the previous book in the series, this book seems like a rough draft for better Noir that will come in his next series. Ellroy is growing, but it is difficult to call this book a finished product at this point. Ellroy, at this stage, hasn't learned that the crazier the characters, the more believable the premise has to be.
- James Ellroy, Because the Night
Book 2 in Ellroy's L.A. Noir trilogy (or Lloyd Hopkins Trilogy). In this book Sgt Hopkins is trying to figure out a bizarre killing AND the disappearance of an exceptional undercover cop. It all leads to a Timothy Leary/Charles Manson mashup whose band of rich misfits isn't Ellroy's best. The psychiatrist trope appears better developed in later Ellroy novels. Like the previous book in the series, this book seems like a rough draft for better Noir that will come in his next series. Ellroy is growing, but it is difficult to call this book a finished product at this point. Ellroy, at this stage, hasn't learned that the crazier the characters, the more believable the premise has to be.
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