The Enchanters A novel
The Enchanters by James Ellroy, published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group on September 12, 2023, is a novel that delves into the tumultuous landscape of 1962 Hollywood, centering around the enigmatic death of Marilyn Monroe. This edition spans 448 pages and is presented in English. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of a sweltering Los Angeles summer, where the LAPD’s overzealous response to Monroe’s overdose intertwines with the kidnapping of a B-movie starlet, setting the stage for a complex crime epic.
Readers will follow Freddy Otash, a flawed ex-cop and private eye, as he navigates a web of deceit and danger in his quest for truth. The story explores themes of opportunity, love, and the darker side of fame, as Freddy confronts the realities of his own existence while unraveling the mysteries surrounding Monroe’s tragic end. The Enchanters combines elements of mystery, historical context, and hard-boiled fiction, offering a vivid portrayal of a pivotal moment in American culture.
Official synopsis Publisher
AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • James Ellroy—Demon Dog of American Letters—goes straight to the tragic heart of 1962 Hollywood with a wild riff on the Marilyn Monroe death myth in an astonishing, behind-the-headlines crime epic.
Los Angeles, August 4, 1962. The city broils through a midsummer heat wave. Marilyn Monroe ODs. A B-movie starlet is kidnapped. The overhyped LAPD overreacts. Chief Bill Parker’s looking for some getback. The Monroe deal looks like a moneymaker. He calls in Freddy Otash.
The freewheeling Freddy O: tainted ex-cop, defrocked private eye, dope fiend, and freelance extortionist. A man who lives by the maxim “Opportunity is love.” Freddy gets to work. He dimly perceives Marilyn Monroe’s death and the kidnapped starlet to be a poisonous riddle that only he has the guts and the brains to untangle. We are with him as he tears through all those who block his path to the truth. We are with him as he penetrates the faux-sunshine of Jack and Bobby Kennedy and the shuck of Camelot. We are with him as he falters, and grasps for love beyond opportunity. We are with him as he tracks Marilyn Monroe’s horrific last charade through a nightmare L.A. that he served to create — and as he confronts his complicity and his own raging madness.
It’s the Summer of ’62, baby. Freddy O’s got a hot date with history. The savage Sixties are ready to pop. It’s just a shot away.
The Enchanters is a transcendent work of American popular fiction. It is James Ellroy at his most crazed, brilliant, provocative, profanely hilarious, and stop-your-heart tender. It is a luminous psychological drama and an unparalleled thrill ride. It is, resoundingly, the great American crime novel.
Author
Publisher
Topics
FAQ
What is “The Enchanters A novel” about?
Who is the author of “The Enchanters A novel”?
When was “The Enchanters A novel” published?
What is the ISBN for “The Enchanters A novel”?
What are the book details (language, pages, edition)?
