Love Me Fierce In Danger Synopsis
Love Me Fierce In Danger: The Life of James Ellroy uncovers the life-story of one of the most fascinating and provocative figures in American literature.
Tracing the history of Ellroy’s life and family, Steven Powell reveals how his parents were migrants to Los Angeles, and how Ellroy’s upbringing in LA, always on the periphery of Hollywood, had a substantial influence on his later work as a novelist. Using new sources, this book uncovers Ellroy’s family secrets including the mysterious first marriage of his mother Jean Ellroy, which happened eighteen years before her brutal, unsolved murder. Her death marked the start of a long and turbulent road for James Ellroy that includes alcoholism, drug addiction, homelessness, and jail time. Steven Powell sheds new light on how Ellroy managed to turn his life around and become a bestselling crime author of such classics as The Black Dahlia and LA Confidential.
This biography is the untold story of how Ellroy created a literary persona for himself as the Demon Dog of American Crime Fiction, giving him a celebrity status and notoriety that few authors can match. However, his success comes at a high cost that few readers are aware of. Two divorces, a nervous breakdown, and a relapse into addiction are just some of the traumas he endures in his pursuit of literary greatness.
To his admirers Ellroy is a literary genius who has reinvented crime fiction. To his detractors he is a reactionary, overrated figure. Love Me Fierce In Danger examines the enigma of an author who has striven for critical acclaim and often courted controversy with equal zealotry.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781501367311 |
| Publication date: |
9th February 2023 |
| Author: |
Steven Powell |
| Publisher: |
Bloomsbury Academic USA an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
352 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Biographies & Autobiographies
|
| Other Genres: |
|
Steven Powell Press Reviews
Here is 'the skinny' (as the subject himself might put it) on one of the most charismatic and complex crime writers on the planet, affording insights into both the man and his craft. It's every bit as gripping and twisted as a James Ellroy novel. Dig it, cats. - Ian Rankin
Powell brings out the conflicting sides of Ellroy’s personality tactfully and sympathetically — without ever taking his eye off the truth … [It] has all the pace, twists and shocks of a good crime novel. -- Mark Sanderson - The Times
A highly enjoyable read … shrewd in its critiques of the work and jargon-free – an academic biography in the best sense. I suspect it will spoil the genre of literary biography for me for a while: can the life of any other living writer be anywhere near as horribly gripping? -- Jake Kerridge - The Daily Telegraph
Steven Powell’s brilliant, unflinching biography reveals how the novelist’s obsessions have their roots in the extraordinary experiences of his childhood and early years … Powell scrupulously chronicles Ellroy’s hectic career: his compulsive womanising; lapses in sobriety; near nervous breakdowns; and attention grabbing performances as the self-styled ‘Demon Dog of American Crime Fiction’… According to his ex-wife, Helen Knode: ‘James lives life like he was shot out of a cannon.’ This gripping, illuminating biography not only throws light on just what she meant by that. It also reveals why he does so. -- Nick Rennison - The Daily Mail
Sober … Powell’s unruffled approach is a shrewd way of tackling Ellroy’s sensational life and imagination. -- Anthony Cummins - Literary Review
[A] stark, revealing account of [Ellroy’s] life. -- Martin Chilton - The Independent
When it comes to James Ellroy, [Powell] is the go-to expert who plays sleuth to the inventor of many an L.A. sleuth. . . . The same obsessive thread that runs through all of Ellroy's work also weaves kinetically through Powell's prose. In this latest book, he reveals nuances of the epic writer’s life and process that only an Ellroy expert can. - Brooklyn Rail
Powell's biography is wonderful, a must-read. . . . It is a testament to him and to his subject. - Hedgehog Review
An essential purchase for anyone interested in modern American crime fiction, couched in prose that is as lively as its uncompromising subject. -- Barry Forshaw - Crime Time
Contributes a wealth of material and insight into Ellroy's private life and personal struggles. . . . Love Me Fierce In Danger is a substantial work of literary scholarship. . . . A must read for fans and scholars of contemporary American crime fiction. - Pulp Curry
Whatever we thought we knew about the Demon Dog of American Literature, we were wrong; Love Me Fierce in Danger is as revelatory as it is compelling, and a masterpiece of literary biography: James Ellroy deserves no less. - David Peace
Unflinching in detailing the life of one of the living greats of crime fiction … As biographies go, this one is quite a ride. -- Ayo Onatade - Shots magazine
Steven Powell’s biography is notably short on longueurs ... Powell has clearly worked hard to do justice to his subject. -- Nicholas Lezard - The Spectator
Provides fascinating revelations about the life of James and his remarkable parents, Jean & Armand. It is amazing how much new information the biography provides—in clear and eloquent fashion. . . . This is a testament to Steven’s rigorous research and his unprecedented access to Mr. Ellroy, his friends, his family, former lovers and former colleagues. - Apocalypse Confidential
Equal parts literary examination of Ellroy’s stylistic and thematic journey and a fulsome exploration of his personal struggles. . . . A rich and sprawling read. - Zoomer Magazine
From countless interviews with friends, family peers, former lovers, literary and film collaborators, as well as extensive interviews with Ellroy himself, author Steven Powell pulls back the curtain on the life of this enigmatic, often bombastic, charismatic and complex author. The tale he reveals is every bit as gripping, twisted, dark and provocative as any of Ellroy's dozen novels. - The Irish Scene
