I saw the book Black Dahlia at Border's the other night...and it was fairly cheap. So now I guess I'm starting with the FIRST LA book. Looks good!

I always got Ellroy confused with James Patterson...or lumped the two in the same category. James Patterson...I don't care to read, but now that I know a little bit about Ellroy, I can't wait to start. His stuff sounds right up my alley.

Rob wrote: "Waitaminute. The movie "Black Dahlia" was based on Ellroy's book?"

Wow, there's a Wickipedia article on the movie -- and it tells the major differences between the book and the movie! Yes, it's "Based" on Ellroy's book and he's even given credit. But the differences appear fairly substantial.

Rob wrote: "Waitaminute. The movie "Black Dahlia" was based on Ellroy's book?"

The promotional poster and the IMDB say that it is. I watched the film with that presupposition, but I don't remember what the credits say. Even if it's based on Ellroy's book, I think Brian De Palma and the Holloywood producers probably took a lot of license with it.

Waitaminute. The movie "Black Dahlia" was based on Ellroy's book?

Always, I can see how you would. Their names are easily mix-up-able! :)

I've never read Ellroy except for a few excerpts about his mother's murder -- I think he had them printed before he completed his memoir. But I have seen the movies "LA Confidential" and "The Black Dahlia." I love them as movies -- I have watched them multiple time times and enjoy just the sheer visual excitement of them. But I am disappointed in the story in both of them. I especially hate that "The Black Dahlia" gave a down-pat conclusion to the mystery of what is still officially an unsolved case -- Did Ellory's book do that, or was that a Hollywoodism?

P.S.
Does anyone else ever get him mixed up w/Elmore Leonard?
I must confess that I do ;0

Funny you should bring up James Ellroy..I just started to collect some of his books, like "The Black Dahlia" but the strangest I must say so far is "My Dark Places"
He writes about his own Mother's Murder, which of course has been haunting him for years. I believe he was only 10 at the time.... It's gut wrenching, quite bizarre & difficult for me personally to read at times... Very open about his life growing up.
And a little history about what's going on in L.A. at the time...

I enjoyed Dark Places. White Jazz I enjoyed, but would not put it in my all time ten books. The film LA Confidential felt quite gentle in comparison to the the book White Jazz. I must admit I prefer the former to the latter.

What did you think of them Stuart? I have MY DARK PLACES but want to read the L.A. Quartet BEFORE I read it. Would you read more of his books? Have you seen the film L.A. Confidential??

I have read My Dark Places and White Jazz. The former is his dark toned autobiography and the latter is part of the LA Quartet, which includes LA Confidential. White Jazz also has a very dark tone and among other things features police brutality inflicted onto other police officers.

Michelle wrote: "Yep, I did. Hoping to get people discussing him. The people who have read his stuff anyway, not me...yet. :)"

Cue: Daniel

Yep, I did. Hoping to get people discussing him. The people who have read his stuff anyway, not me...yet. :)

I havn't read anything by James Ellroy but the group seems to be pretty interested in his work and Michelle suggested a thread, so here we go!