Some James Ellroy Novels

James Ellroy began his career writing detective fiction. His “LA Quartet” series is perhaps the best well known and includes The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, LA Confidential, and White Jazz. The first book by Ellroy that I read was The Big Nowhere. This book hooked me on Ellroy’s writing. His work is not pretty, nor is it neat the way some crime fiction is. In fact, the mess of Los Angeles corruption is Ellroy’s fodder. He chews it up and spits it out like no other writer I know. His characters stand head and shoulders above the lame, hand-wringing ninnies of some series. He’s not afraid to have bad cops do good things, evil politicians stoop lower than a snake in the sand, and civilians get whacked in the cross fire. The plots are more convoluted than the frieze on a Hindu temple, and yet as believable as the reality they reflect.

But (and there’s always a ‘but’ in these posts of mine) Ellroy’s work grew beyond detective fiction to include a book that stands out among my top five books of all time, and that would be AMERICAN TABLOID. I put it in all capitals because this book will not only make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, it’ll cause you to break into a cold sweat and the occasional shaking fit. This one takes place in the run up to and aftermath of the Cuban Revolution. It features real-life characters salted in among two CIA agents gone off the reservation. One is Kemper Boyd. The other is Ward Little. These guys are on a collision course with history and each other, not to mention J. Edgar Hoover, Joe Kennedy, Sam Giancana, and a few movie stars in between. Ellroy winds his plot through the minefield of historical drama, giving the reader almost no rest between crooked and kinky deals that ultimately bring Boyd and Little face to face with what they’ve done.

Over the years, Ellroy’s style has evolved into a clipped, almost machine gun fire blitz of language. At times this can wear on me. Nonetheless, I think he is one of America’s great writers in this field. He holds nothing back and that’s what impresses me the most in an age of politically correct sterilization.

Published in: on August 17, 2008 at 8:21 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Some Mario Puzo Novels

Mario Puzo is famously known for his novel, The Godfather. I’ve read the book three times. It is definitely among his best. However, another book of his that I found to be very good and more insightful was The Fortunate Pilgrim. This is another immigrant tale, albeit one that is much shorter. It takes place in New York City and features all the characters you might expect including a woman named Lucia Santa. Every one of them is well drawn, each with their motivations, flaws, and virtues.

And then there is Fools Die. Fools Die is a story not only about Las Vegas, but about human nature. (I’ve also read this book three times.) One of the most fascinating characters in the book is named Gronevelt and he owns the Xanadu Casino. He’s as much an archetype as Don Corleone, but with a more mathematical sensibility that he applies not only to the returns on his gaming tables, but also to the people around him. Gronevelt knows that people will try to steal from his casino, that they will attempt scams, that they think they can somehow beat the house. All the while, the percentage is against them, not to mention a keen observer of human behavior like Gronevelt who can be on the merciless side. Thus, fools die, literally and figuratively.

Still, there is more to this book than simple casino derring-do and big-shot hustling. The book takes some wild tangents to follow a budding novelist, a wacky prize-winning author, and some other minor characters. If you’ve read The Godfather, you’ll remember that the book followed Johnny Fontain to Hollywood along with his hard drinking neighborhood upstart friend. Some people complain about this type of diversion in a book. I actually enjoy them, especially when a writer like Puzo keeps the characters and plot interesting to the point where you don’t realize how far off the main highway you’ve gone until you’re on your way back.

Too many novels I’ve read of late are too short, too bland, and too simple so as to leave me wondering what, exactly, was the story. Mario Puzo never takes the short or the easy road in the novels I mention above. He drags the story up a hill and the climb is not only worth it but also leaves you with a view you never forget. The finely tuned power of Don Corleone, the ruthless calculating mind of Gronevelt, or the perseverance of Lucia Santa, all deliver the reader to a place they will never forget.

So, if you haven’t checked out these Mario Puzo novels lately, I highly recommend a visit. You won’t be disappointed. As for his other books, well, they’re not on my list of favorites.

Published in: on August 16, 2008 at 10:04 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Charlie’s Bar, Book Signing Event

Wow! What a turnout for the official launch of my novel, An Island Away. There was only one place where this could be held, Charlie’s Bar, Main Street San Nicolaas. I want to start by thanking Charlito (aka Charles III, that is Charlie, Jr.’s son) and Mr. Speziale for making the event a huge success. The bar had to be rearranged a bit, a steel band brought in, and everyone pitched in to get things ready. By 11:00 am people were literally waiting for the bar to open, even though things weren’t scheduled to begin until 12:30. The doors opened at 11:30 and the party began. Here are a few photos:

That’s Mr. Speziale and I, just before things got crazy. And here’s how people lined up.

I’m signing on a table we put on Main Street so there would be room for more people in the bar. In the photo above is my friend from college and her mother. Like so many people who love Aruba, they visit the island at least once a year. Then there was this lady, who reminded me of a character from the book, but she insists it wasn’t her.

It was tons of fun to meet people who have heard about the book and wanted an official “Aruba” copy. I want everyone to know I sincerely appreciate their support and look forward to hearing from all of you about the story. Yes, I am working on the sequel (with brief breaks to hang out at Charlie’s). Here’s a look at the band.

Their music kept everyone entertained. And here’s a few random shots of me with some readers.

One more for the fun of it.

You can find more photos and details on my website, http://www.danielputkowski.com, under the news heading. Or you can simply click HERE (yes, on the word “HERE”). Once again, many thanks to everyone for coming to Charlie’s as well as the staff at the bar who did a yoeman’s job of keeping everyone happy. I can’t wait to do this again. Don’t forget to email your comments about the book to my website.

Published in: on July 24, 2008 at 12:24 pm  Comments (3)  
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Tawni O’Dell, novelist

One of my favorite authors is Tawni O’Dell. She’s written three books, Back Roads, Coal Run, and Sister Mine. She’s from the western part of Pennsylvania and her stories all take place there, an area I happen to be familiar with as well.

What impresses me most about O’Dell’s stories is her authenticity of voice. Her characters are real, not only in the context of the fictional world she creates, but also in the here and now reality in which we live and breathe. In Back Roads, her lead character is a young man (teenager really) named Harley, who is slowly going down the tubes as his disintegrating family continues to fall apart around him. He struggles with the cards he’s been dealt and does his best, never getting a break, never finding what he needs. And yet there is a sort of grace to the ending of the story. A reader who doesn’t feel for Harley and his family and the people of his community might want to check for a pulse.

Similarly, in Coal Run, O’Dell brings us a washed up college football hero whose father was killed in a coal mine explosion. This event haunts the community and the lead character, Ivan. He has his bitter moments, his lusts for women and a better life, but he is grounded in this community of miners. O’Dell puts the reader inside this world to the point where you can feel the coal grit under your finger nails. You understand Ivan, his longings and his ultimate redemption because O’Dell is capable of making you believe in these characters.

Sister Mine is a different book from the first two. It’s something of a cautionary tale with more humorous events and more hope. The lead character is an ex-cop from D.C. who returns to her hometown as a cab driver of all things. Through this device she romps among the townspeople. Her sister shows up, involved in a baby selling scam that goes haywire. It works out with some laughs, a few close calls, and plenty of joy, which is welcome variety.

All in all, O’Dell will surely have a long career writing novels. I anxiously await the next one and hope she stays with this familiar territory. A writer with less talent would have run out of words by now. Not O’Dell. She knows how to put them together in a satisfying and enlightening manner. I only wish some other writers would work this hard.

Published in: on July 5, 2008 at 6:52 pm  Comments (1)  
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