Book Lovers Guide to Going Green: Starting with The Black Dahlia

I'm not big on this whole "going green" trend, but today I thought about one thing all book lovers can do to contribute to society: use your library card more often.

You probably thought I had something clever to say. Sorry to disappoint but let me explain. The following explanation is strictly for those analytically minded individuals such as myself. All others, feel free to scroll down to the summary.

Mademoiselle's Analysis of The Black Dahlia:

324 pages in the book

67 pages until the plot begins to unfold

300 pages before the book becomes unputdownable, as I like to call it

What does that leave us with?

...approximately 67 pages of wasted paper and 233 pages worth only borrowing from the library

... only 7.4% (24/324) of the book worth purchasing

Granted, I only paid about $5 for the book (thanks to half.com) technically I should've only spent like 40 cents. Plus think about how many trees that could've been saved if James Ellroy, the author, had simply gotten to the point.

But who's counting...?

The core of the plot is based on a 1940's Los Angeles murder mystery. The body of a young woman was found in a vacant lot mutilated, cut in half, and disemboweled. Two detectives, ex-boxers, take on the case and become overly obsessed with this young woman's life - and death - to the point where it literally destroys their own lives.

What I really struggled with while reading this book was the inclusion of random storylines as well as the excessive - and mostly pointless - details that made the book way longer than it needed to be. For instance, the first 67 pages of the novel are spent developing the relationship between the two detectives and describing their boxing past. The author also over-used police jargon which only made it harder for me to connect with the characters. The book's only saving grace was the last 30(ish) pages where the twisted plot came into focus.

In conclusion...

What I liked: the twisted mystery plot

What I disliked: Ellroy's inability to focus on what was important to me, the reader

While this book may be worth reading for you mystery/suspense lovers out there, I would strongly suggest that you save our trees and borrow The Black Dahlia from your local library. Don't let another wasted page get published.

Smooches dahlin!

Mademoiselle