by James Ellroy

I don’t think I’ve talked about much nonfiction before, but this one is nonfiction and upon which the movie is based. For me, it was a dud. I really enjoyed the movie, and way more than I enjoyed the book. I got through it because it is an easy read, but not exciting. It is actually kind of confusing for me. The story really is based on the detectives, one in particular: Bucky Bleichert.

Ellroy discusses how Bleichert became involved and then obsessed with the case. It has its ups and downs for sure and its based upon a tragedy. I had a hard time following the story, and I’m not sure if it is due to my disappointed expectation or not feeling the book at all.

This returns us to the conversation previously about movies versus books. In this case, I’ve seen the movie before the book and thoroughly enjoyed the movie better than the book. What are your thoughts? How do you gauge your disappointment when you’ve either read the book first or seen the movie depiction first? I really struggle with this debate within myself. I’d love to see what others do and how they work through this tension in themselves.

For me, this earned 3 stars because of the dry content, but it was an easy read. Tell me what you think if you’ve read this one!

#TheBlackDahlia #James Ellroy #Goodreads