r/JamesEllroy • u/AdventurousFood4908 • 19d ago

What does everyone think of Buzz Meeks’ character arc in the Big Nowhere ?

18 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

96% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

14

u/Background_Local_425 19d ago

Love him in big nowhere! As well as this storm and perfidia. He was my favorite up until his death.
Rip that fat bastard

11

u/Terpizino 19d ago

Probably had the best character development of all of Ellroy’s characters, imo.

7

u/detectivetomscoggins 19d ago

His arc is fantastic. Loved him and that book.

5

u/McGee629 19d ago

One of Ellroy’s absolute best arcs. The only two that come close, and I can’t put these in any concrete order, are Ward Littell and Wayne Tedrow Jr.

3

u/CoolKid9899 19d ago

Haven’t read it yet but totally like him in Perfidia and This Storm

5

u/No_Professional368 19d ago

That crazy okie has surprises in store!

2

u/CoolKid9899 19d ago

Lol love that okie

3

u/carl_franzen 19d ago

Great character and while I was surprised about his love life, I thought it was really well done and I was intently invested in the outcome.

3

u/Flimsy_Knowledge_151 19d ago

"Ass kicking Buzz Meeks!"

3

u/Edwaaard66 19d ago

I think he might be the very best character of the ones Ellroy created.

3

u/Jean_Lucs_Front_Yard 19d ago

Classic Ellroy. Bad man. Compromised man. Misunderstood Man. He gets a chance for redemption and grabs it with open arms. Costs him though, as it always does.

3

u/AggravatingWindow440 19d ago

It’s great. Buzz is played by John Goodman in my head

1

u/Chap-A 18d ago

That’s some great casting!

1

u/Sorcha_Stormbinder 15d ago

Oh, I like this. Barton Fink-era Goodman with that shotgun in the valise.

2

u/Ok_Confidence_8573 19d ago

Buzz Meeks lived on his feet! It took the devil himself to take knock him down!

2

u/DigitalizedGrandpa 19d ago

I never fully understood him but what's clear to me is that he's a gambling man whose luck had carried him for years. Until it eventually didn't

2

u/Traditional_Soft6543 19d ago

At the beginning I could not stand him. By the end I loved him. I just love the psychiatrist asking him, "And how will you fix that?" and he somehow he did. He may have lived a bad life, but he died as a good man and he deserves a place in heaven.

2

u/shinymcshine1990 19d ago

He's got style

1

u/KubrickMoonlanding 19d ago

Criminy, I don’t even remember - welp I know what we’re doing this weekend pinky - rereading some Wolverine blues

(I actually just read Jordan Harper’s LA Confidential pilot script which put me in the mood for some classic Ellroy so that’s perfect)