Reviews

The Cold Six Thousand by James Ellroy

8797999's review against another edition

4.0

I very much enjoyed this book and all the build up to the last part of the book, especially the very end chapters.

A good book but I preferred the plot of American Tabloid. I'm interested to read the final book of this trilogy.

ninethreeo's review

4.0

I would probably never in a million years have picked this up in a library or bookshop, but I actually won it in a competition. It sat around on my shelf for a long time (I find it hard to part with books)until a couple of weeks ago when I suddenly found myself with the time and inclination to read again.
I really enjoyed this. I'm not too up on my American history and politics, so I'm sure a lot of the references went over my head, but I loved the
fast pace, the slang and the short sharp sentences. I loved the relationships between the characters and the way their stories ran into each other. I have been using the word 'boocoo' too much, luckily only in my head. I'm eagerly awaiting the third in the trilogy and need to get a copy of the first.

rbixby's review

2.0

I just couldn't do it. I could not take Elroy's truncated style any longer. I needed to read a book with full, descriptive, sentences. The staccato flow of this just felt like a machine gun rapid firing bullets into my brain.

Don't judge me. I loved LA Confidential and American Tabloid. But this one. It wasn't what my brain needed, I guess.

duparker's review

3.0

I find this series to be conceptually interesting, but hard to read. I am not sure why, whether it is the violence or the circumstance. It is a mystery. That said, I am not going to finish the trilogy, because I don't care how it evolves. This book had some interesting sub-plots and narrative arcs, but overall, it didn't do anything for me, and just felt long.

emilybryk's review

4.0

everyone here is so tough and hip that I feel like I can hardly measure up. it's a violent, confusing (though probably because I hadn't read the other books in the series), drug-riddled car wreck of a book, and it's hard to look away

imthechillalex's review

5.0

The final part of this might have a solid run for the best and most bleak thing Ellroy has ever written

lowflyinggoose's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

rattlebag's review

3.0

This book needed an editor. A five star book the equal of American Tabloid is lost somewhere within.

steadman_slick's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

ajnel's review

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I'm still pretty awe struck after reading the first book in this historical fiction trilogy, and I must admit that the second novel in each and every regard felt like I was just reading part two of the first novel.  In this case, that is high praise indeed.  The fictional story line is so well researched and told with a full and engaging command of the era.  Though bloody violent, I feel as if I have gone through a roller coaster ride which pummeled every possible emotion. Elroy is just in a class of his own.