Compulsively readable! Ellroy's vision of the times and events surrounding the assasination of John Kennedy make it a fascinating read! ( )

This is one of the greatest books I have ever read. ( )

Ο Ελρόυ μ' αρέσει. Ξέρει να δημιουργεί χαρακτήρες και σίγουρα ξέρει να πλέκει καλά την πλοκή του. Και σε αυτό το έργο του τα καταφέρνει εξαιρετικά και στα δύο. Καταφέρνει να μπλέξει το μύθο με την πραγματικότητα σε σημείο που να σε κάνει να ψάχνεις να βρεις ποια απ' όλα τα πρόσωπα είναι δικά του δημιουργήματα και ποια είναι πραγματικά.
Αν και τούβλο, το βιβλίο ρέει, η δράση και η αγωνία κλιμακώνονται, οι χαρακτήρες αλλάζουν, προσαρμόζονται, μαθαίνουν (ή δεν μαθαίνουν) από τα λάθη τους, και όλα οδηγούν σε ένα τέλος το οποίο μας είναι γνωστό εξ' αρχής: τη δολοφονία του Κένεντι. Αν και γνωρίζουμε που θα καταλήξουν όλα όσα παρακολουθούμε, ο Ελρόυ καταφέρνει να μας παρουσιάσει μια πολύ καλοστημένη και σε απίστευτο βαθμό πιστευτή ιστορία των παρασκηνίων. Όσα δηλαδή σκεφτόμαστε όλοι μας όταν αναρωτιόμαστε τι μπορεί να οδήγησε στη δολοφονία ενός από τους πιο δημοφιλείς προέδρους των ΗΠΑ.
Το κεφάλαιο 99 (προτελευταίο) προσφέρει μια ιδιαίτερα αποκαλυπτική εικόνα για μια γνωστή ιστορική φιγούρα εκείνης της περιόδου. Ίσως να απέχει από την πραγματικότητα, αλλά πάλι, ίσως και όχι, και μόνο γι' αυτό ο Ελρόυ κερδίζει το χειροκρότημα.
Το τελευταίο κεφάλαιο (νο. 100, μόλις μιάμιση σελίδα), και ειδικά η εξαιρετική τελευταία πρόταση, είναι ένα από τα καλύτερα κλεισίματα μυθιστορήματος που έχω διαβάσει ποτέ. Μην προστρέξετε να τη διαβάσετε χωρίς να έχετε διαβάσει ολόκληρη την ιστορία με προσοχή. Δεν θα σας αγγίξει καθόλου. Με το βάρος μιας τόσο συμπυκνωμένης (παρά το μέγεθός της) ιστορίας να πλακώνει τον αναγνώστη όμως, αυτή η τελευταία πρόταση είναι απλώς κορυφαία.
Το μόνο κακό, η επαναλαμβανόμενη έναρξη των περισσότερων περιγραφικών προτάσεων με τον ίδιο τρόπο: «Ο Λίττελ έκανε αυτό...», «Ο Κέμπερ είπε εκείνο...», «Ο Πητ σκέφτηκε το άλλο...». Αν και στην αρχή ξενίζει λίγο, προσωπικά το συνήθισα γρήγορα, και τελικά σταμάτησα να δίνω σημασία. Απλώς απολάμβανα την ιστορία.
Όσοι γνωρίζουν λίγο παραπάνω το σκηνικό και τα πρόσωπα εκείνης της περιόδου (Κένεντι, Κάστρο, Χούβερ, Χιουζ, Χόφα, Κόλπος Χοίρων) θα καταφέρουν να βυθιστούν στην πλοκή γρηγορότερα από τους υπόλοιπους αναγνώστες. ( )

Takes a while to get started - maybe too long - and mean and nasty - maybe a little too mean and nasty - but after a while it becomes compulsively readable as you start to wonder how much the main cast can get away with. ( )

"American Tabloid" is vintage James Ellroy. It gives the reader a view of American life in the 1950's and early 1960's through a lens dirty with corruption, crime, violence of all sordid types, betrayal, booze and drugs. Most of this cynical depiction centers on three of the singularly corrupt men of the era, Howard Hughes, J. Edgar Hoover, and Jimmy Hoffa. The events covered include the overthrow of Batista, the Bay of Pigs invasion and the assassination of Jack Kennedy. Fratricide is emblematic throughout, and one wonders if Bobby's obsession with the mob which leads, in the book, to the assassination of his brother is suggested as being fratricidal also.

Good: the detail, holy fuck, and such seamy, dirty history being brought alive.
Good: the tabloid-like style, or a very flat style, that it was written in

Bad: the tabloid-like style, or a very flat style, that it was written in (yup)
Bad: it was a bit hard to follow all the strands; I lost a few details, like why was Kemper Boyd shot at the end? ( )

Gave me a different side of the 1960's that I wasn't expecting. Only time will tell who the ending was perpetrated by. ( )

(this was a diversion, something to transport)

Much of the GR community shares a united front on American Tabloid, comparing it to meth or serial lines of blow, Ellroy is credited with thousands of pages of plot stripped down to slide into a mere 600 page volume. There is a measure of truth in said consensus. Well some of the metaphors do work. It does often appear that an acetylene torch is applied to the reader's soul. Events do come tumbling into focus and then disappear in the span of a few pages. The historical significance trails afterward like a sonic boom. The novel's chief created characters ( as opposed to the historical personages that the author stacks to the rafters) all occupy the opaque underworld of the FBI and the Syndicates. The Mob and communist inspire night terrors. Affairs branch outward from there. No one can afford loyalty, we understand. A subplot involving the daughters of the G-men being friends is but a plot device, quickly discarded to no real effect. Many of the characters decide that they don’t hate sufficiently and question matters. I’m guessing a few readers came to the same conclusion. ( )

It took me a long time to get into this book, maybe even more than half way through. But once I did, I liked it. I'd like to read the rest of the series, though it's not at the top of my list. I don't like violence, so that was one downside of this book for me. ( )

I loved this book. It gets 4 out of 5 (it's really probably more if a 4.5) mainly because there is just so much going on and at times made my brain hurt. I love the pace, the way the fictional character mixed with real life ones. My favorite character was probably Ward Littell. I loved the whole, good guy goes rouge after feeling betrayed aspect of his character. I rarely read series books in order, but because I liked the first book so much, I'm jumping right into The Cold Six Thousand. I'm going to let my brain rest and process for a bit though. ( )

This masterpiece brilliantly mixes fact and fiction to present a mosaic of America from the late 1950's until the assassination of JFK. Historical characters and facts covered include JFK's run for the presidency; his many affairs, including one with a Marilyn Monroe-like starlet; Bobby Kennedy's investigation of Teamster's Union boss Jimmy Hoffa; the CIA's botched planning and execution of the Bay of Pigs; Howard Hughes; Castro; J. Edgar Hoover; the Mafia in Chicago, Miami, L.A. and New Orleans; and much, much more.

These events engulf the three primary fictional characters, all of whom are amoral, murderous and depraved individuals. Pete Bondurant is a hired gun for Jimmy Hoffa, as well a drug supplier to Howard Hughes, who becomes one of the CIA trainers for the Cubans who will execute the Bay of Pigs invasion. Kemper Boyd simultaneously works for the FBI, the CIA, Robert F. Kennedy, the Mafia, and pimps for JFK. He is loyal to no one. Ward Littel is a former straight-arrow FBI agent formerly obsessed with nabbing the mob (rather than chasing the "reds" J. Edgar was interested in pursuing). He ends up as the ace attorney for Mafioso boss Carlos Marcello. Be aware that the events in this book are extremely violent and brutal.

The style in which this novel is written is truly unique, and takes some getting used to. It is written in short, staccato sentences, and the plot is presented as a series of vignettes. The language is idiomatic, full of slang and (to me) utterly authentic. This may only be a 4 1/2 star book, but I'm feeling generous and giving it 5 stars.

5 stars

This was a reread for me. I first read it around the time it was originally published in 1995. I loved it then, as well. I reread it because after reading a review of the second novel in the trilogy of which this is the opening book (The Cold Six Thousand) I wanted to continue on with the trilogy, which I never did, I guess because the succeeding books weren't written at the time I read the first one ( )

This sprawling, shocking novel revolves (mainly) around three fictional characters, but is rooted in the time of the Kennedy family's rise to success - it features JFK campaigning for and winning the election and his brother Bobby becoming Attorney General. The events of the novel take us right up to that fateful date of 22nd November 1963.

The main characters are Pete Bondurant, bodyguard for the eccentric millionaire Howard Hughes as well as a terrifyingly effective Mob associate; Kemper Boyd, an FBI Agent who at the request of J Edgar Hoover infiltrates the Kennedy organisation and finds his loyalties (such as they are) split many ways; and Ward Littell, another FBI Agent and anti-Mob crusader. Lets be clear here - none of these men are particularly nice, but they are interesting. In fact, none of the characters in this book - real or fictional - come off particularly well, least of all John F Kennedy.

The story describes the machinations of the Kennedy family and their associates in making sure that JFK wins the election, and covers such historical events as the Bay of Pigs invasion, and attempts to bring down Fidel Castro. There's so much story here that it was sometimes hard to take in everything that happens - whether you are familiar with the events upon which the book is based or not, this is a book that really demands your attention.

The writing is visceral and brutal and the story is fast paced, with loyalties of all characters constantly being questioned both by the readers and by other people in the story. Despite the concentration required, it's actually a pretty easy read with mainly short, choppy chapters, which tend to show events from alternating points of view.

Overall, if you are interested at all in what happened to John F Kennedy and who killed him - this book offers a fictionalised theory - then I would definitely recommend this, but be aware that it is not a cosy afternoon read! ( )

Wow. No way it all went down exactly like this, but it could have, anyway I think Ellroy's pretty close. There's so much detail here that it took a second reading just to get a good idea of what's going on. The first time through, I think I was focused on the Kennedy assassination stuff so much that I missed ninety percent of the story. And I had no idea that it was a trilogy... will definitely be moving on to The Cold Six Thousand now. ( )

Deckare av den hårdkokta varianten blir inte bättre och mer sofistikerade än så här. ( )

This is an exciting thriller that made me breathless until the last page. It is the first book of the Underworld USA trilogy . It is the rise of the Kennedys to the day of the assassination of JFK. It is the story of how the Mafia, corrupt agents (FBI / CIA) to the highest authorities had their hands in the game. It is also the story of the Cuban Crisis. Even if it is a fiction, shows Ellroy how politics works. Although this is a purely American history, it could happen in many countries worldwide like that. It shows once again that money rules the world and who sold the devil his soul, it gets never return. ( )

History class was never this exciting. Ellroy's AMERICAN TABLOID seduces you with bad news, spilling out the extortion, bribery, and killings that underlay the forces of history between 1958 and 1963.

Through it all are three fixers trying to play all the parties involved: FBI, Mob, Justice Department, CIA, and more. There are few things more enjoyable than watching someone good at their job, and these three men are very fucking good at their jobs—except when they forget that they're tools of the powerful, to be used and discarded when out of control.

The prose? Like uppers on uppers, hurtling forward with maximum velocity and minimum equivocation. It doesn't hurt that he gets to revel in the lurid details, both weaving together and ripping apart history with the glee of a good skank sheet. It's goddamn infectious, as you can probably tell.

That style—and the subject matter—keep this from being properly understood in the maximalist tradition: think Pynchon, Gaddis, Delillo. Encompassing decades of American history and myth is an even grander aim than any of those chumps, and this is just installment one of three.

Next up: THE COLD SIX THOUSAND and BLOOD'S A ROVER. ( )

This is an extremely violent book. I'm quite tough, but I found the relentless descriptions of torture and murder really hard going. Ellroy writes well, and has created a plausible back story to the Kennedy assassination. The layers of corruption in American politics dip and weave around each other. Ellroy's use of language that would have been normal at the time was hard to read, given that I live in a time when racist, misogynist hate speech quite rightly is not acceptable. I'm not naive, I know such speech, such attitudes still exist, but the language has become shocking. As gripped as I was by the story, I found reading it exhausting, and it definitely affected my mood. Ellroy very skilfully makes you care about the hideously corrupt main characters. He makes you see that the shining knights of democracy aren't the paragons their PR says they are. Everything in the book is underpinned by filth and nastiness. Even though I enjoyed the book, I don't know that I will read any more of Ellroy's books. Not if they make me feel like I need to take a shower every couple of pages! ( )

This book is the first of a trilogy (USA Underworld), the second and third being [b:The Cold Six Thousand|4191|The Cold Six Thousand (Underworld USA, #2)|James Ellroy|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403182681s/4191.jpg|22797] and [b:Blood's a Rover|6094181|Blood's a Rover (Underworld USA, #3)|James Ellroy|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400524997s/6094181.jpg|6271208]. What drove me to buy all three books (used) is my fascination for roman a clef (novels that are fictionalized versions of real people and events), which is the type of writing that I myself aspire to produce in my own works, especially on similar topics - concealed episodes of American political history; in other words, education through entertainment, with a poetic license for authors to throw in their own interpretations.

Unfortunately, American Tabloid falls short. The writing style largely consists of four- and five-word sentences (even three word sentences!) in just as terse (one- to three-sentence) paragraphs; it's like trying to read machine-gun fire. One might think that this makes reading easier, but it doesn't - I found myself stopping to read these concentrated sentences over. At other times the narrative goes so fast, that I have to back up a few pages to look up something I missed. On other occasions the perspective shifts from omniscience to first person, causing some momentary confusion.

The crass, gory, bloody, comic book-style violence often seems gratuitous and detracts from the story rather than embellish it. The characters are one-dimensional and underdeveloped.

But on a positive note, I found myself searching the internet for info on some of the characters, and learned a few things in the process of reading the novel. Like J.D. Tippit for example - the cop that Oswald allegedly shot after fleeing the Book Depository. I always thought he was a random cop who was in the wrong place at the wrong time - I never knew that Tippit and Jack Ruby were buddies, which makes Tippit's death highly suspicious and lends more credence to the forensic evidence that suggests Oswald was NOT the one who killed him.

I will read the rest of the trilogy, keeping in mind the limitations of Ellroy's writing, but I find it difficult to recommend this book to mystery/thriller/cop story fans. However, if you like reading about conspiracies, then it might be worth your time.

( )

Excellent read. Very gripping rendition of the Kennedy years, the Mafia and FBI. It is fiction but very interesting take on the surrounding history. ( )

I wanted to give this book another try; it's subject matter really interests me. It's just that the angry, brutal prose seems to me to be overly sensational and unnecessarily sadistic. Still, it's an engrossing read, with character growth and nice twists and turns to reach an end that history told you was coming. ( )

Awesome! ( )

Fantastic, complicated thriller interpreting historical events through the eyes of a hardboiled crime novelist. Fast-paced, complex, extremely violent, and (unfortunately) all-too-believable. Takes a lot of nerve to depict powerful families and people in this way. One warning: try to keep track of the characters and their connections right from the beginning. There are so many and the crosses and double-crosses are so numerous you may need a crib sheet! ( )

Look, I'm not going to sit here and tell you that "American Tabloid" isn't a lot of fun. It's got gangsters and drug smugglers and revolutionaries and playboys and FBI agents and crazy millionaires and dancing girls. It's got blood and guts and sex and violence and betrayal and greed and double-dealing and politics and harebrained schemes and some very amusing period slang. It moves faster than a jacked-up sports car pushing towards sixth gear on a desolate stretch of Nevada highway. It's profane and chilling and shocking and scandalous, but I'm not sure it's a very good book. Let me explain.

When Ellroy does fiction, he's adding gore, slick prose, and some amount of psychological depth to what lots of readers consider a fairly formulaic, disposable genre. It's a good gig, and Ellroy's very good at what he does. "American Tabloid," though, isn't borderline-literary pulp, it's pulpy, hard-boiled historical fiction, and switching genres really exposes Ellroy's shortcomings as a novelist. Everyone, fictional or otherwise, in "American Tabloid," is an Ellory character: a rampant id attached to an obsession and a pair of gonads. That's fine if you're just juicing up stock characters, but it goes less well when you're talking about historical figures that might have had more sides than one. It doesn't matter who Ellroy's writing about here, though: John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy J. Edgar Hoover, Howard Hughes, Sam Giancana, or one of a half-dozen FBI men, they all come off as horny, power-mad and thoroughly unscrupulous. Other writers have found real depth in some of these personages, but you'd hardly know it from reading "American Tabloid." I've always assumed that historical fiction tarts up the history it describes in the interest of a good story, but I'm thinking that real-deal history, would, in this case, would make Ellroy's schtick here seem pretty thin.

Not that "American Tabloid" is all bad. Ellroy's decision to skewer John F. Kennedy, who has become something of a plaster saint, might be described as bold, and he seems to have done some good research on some less-known aspects of contemporary political history. There's some wild, and perhaps vaguely factual tales of the Cuban exile movement and a cynical take on Camelot and the civil rights movement. Even so, "American Tabloid" is essentially a who-really-killed-JFK book, and there's never been a happier hunting ground for obsessives, crackpots and conspiracy nuts than that one. I don't know how much of any of this he believes, but I'm not sure it matters: Ellroy would probably be better served discussing the intricate, stylish dealings of fictional cops and robbers.

As it nears the end, the book seems to lose all sense of verisimilitude and the death toll hits Shakespearean, or perhaps Tarantino-an, levels. By the time I'd finished this one, I felt like I'd eaten three Thanksgiving dinners in a row and I'd had enough of Cuban psychopaths, speed-addled G-men, and J. Edgar Hoover for a little while. Oof! I'm beginning to suspect that Ellroy's stuff is basically catnip for adolescent males, romance novels for dudes who read "Bizarre." It's okay to read that stuff once in a while, but like all junk food, you want to make sure you get something else in your diet, too. ( )

I loved Elroy's LA Quartet (The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, LA Confidential, and White Jazz), so was looking forward to this book and really wanted to like it, so much so that I read it a second time to give it another chance after not liking it much the first time.

But American Tabloid doesn't work nearly as well for me as the Quartet, mainly because I bought into the noirish world of the first four books, but not into the interlocking conspiracies of American Tabloid. It was too over-the-top, and frequently seemed a parody of itself. How could Boyd, Littell, and Bondurant be in the middle of everything? American Tabloid also lacked the narrative drive and focus and the deeper characterizations of the Quartet. Elroy has written some of my favorite books, but this wasn't among them. ( )

I've read AMERICAN TABLOID three times. It never disappoints. Bloody fantastic stuff. I'm going to re-read the follow up - the cold six thousand - having reminded myself of some of the stuff in AT. I'd forgotten how wonderfully Ward Littel reinvents himself during AT. You wanna read a great book then this is the one for you .... JFK, RFK, J Edgar Hoover, Jimmy Hoffa, Sam Giancanna etc. rub shoulders with some truly great fictional creations. Just read it. ( )