Rate this book

The Best American Noir Of The Century (2010)

by James Ellroy(Favorite Author)

4.06 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0547330774 (ISBN13: 9780547330778)

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

publisher

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

review 1: This is an amazing collection of dark shorts that is an absolute must for anyone interested in detective/crime fiction. I will say the earlier pieces tended to stick with me more than the later ones, and the book seems skewed chronologically to stories written after 1980. Of course this probably reflects a shift in the genre transcending it's cheap entertainment past and becoming recognized as legitimate literature. There's simply more authors around nowadays. Still, this is honestly one of the best books I've ever read.
review 2: I have no problems with the hyperbolic "Best American Noir..." title and would be 5-star happy with a bunch of good stories with sprinkling of gems. And up until about 1972 or so, the selections are solid. But after (and sadly, the co... morentents are skewed to after...), the pickings are far, far slimmer. Speed reading tip: if the story originally appeared in a magazine with "Review" in its title and is written by an English/Creative Writing/etc. professor not named Crumley, it's safe to skip less

Download links for: The Best American Noir of the Century

Advertising