I don't mind Ellroy's persona. I've seen a couple documentaries and he's not averse to describing his days as a teenage house-breaking panty sniffer. He thinks of himself as a debased jerkoff and the only thing that's irritating is that he extends that view to humanity. Still, that's where most cops wind up after a certain amount of time on the job.
Is he self-important? Sure. Does he try to skeeve people out? Absolutely. But he's got a very strong POV and he's done his research. He better evokes the 50s and 40s in LA than any other contemporary writer. That's his little field to plow.
Even when you are describing debasement, it is still possible to fall so in love with your material that you're not actually exploring your material at all, just masturbating with it. Which I generally thank people to do in private.
I can think of works that are worthwhile despite being author-wanks (or auteur-wanks), but I can't think of any that are worthwhile
because
of their wankiness.
David Simon does that kind of thing and still keeps his sense of humor, for Christ's sake.(Although not usually kicking it retro style...although there was one H:LOTS like that "Finnegan's Wake", that was one of Season 6's rare bright spots.) And DS is totally not like Ellroy in that he likes strong women and says he writes "men with tits".
I can think of works that are worthwhile despite being author-wanks (or auteur-wanks), but I can't think of any that are worthwhile because of their wankiness
Ken Russell strikes me as fitting that description.
Psst! Corwood, you forgot the irrelevant swear words and racial insensitivity
-Asstits! Mugwumps! Penis!, he thought. Then he realized that he could blame this on the Jews and Negroes. -Time to sniff some panties, he thought. -White men love panties.
-Asstits! Mugwumps! Penis!, he thought. Then he realized that he could blame this on the Jews and Negroes. -Time to sniff some panties, he thought. -White men love panties.
James Ellroy characters read William Burroughs? Huh.
I saw that. "Murder by the Book", I think, on CourtTV. Not only was Ellroy's references to his mom Skeevy As Skeevy Can Be, but he sorta came across as a pompous jerkoff.
Yes, exactly. It's fine when I can get his actual voice out of my head, but sometimes you can't.
James Ellroy characters read William Burroughs? Huh.
They actually wouldn't have anything to do with mincing pansies like Burroughs unless they're stereotypical mincing pansies themselves. I'm just terrible at writing bad cursing.
