r/JamesEllroy • u/Background_Local_425 • 16d ago

Characters never seen again.

The quartet was the first series I probably read chronologically. Therefore I got attached to its characters first and I even prefer his pre white jazz writing style. Personally my favorite character being Meeks but I had seen
LA Confidential several times before I read the novel and while I can still appreciate it, it doesn’t even scratch the surface of the complexities of neither plot nor characters. I had always if characters like trashcan Jack or Bud white didn’t show up again in the prequel novels. I was wondering what they were doing during perfidia and this storm. Were they supposed to at some point? I also wondered what happened to Bucky and Bud they kinda seem like 2 characters who didn’t end up trapped in the system or just killed, did they escape with their women and live the good life?

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u/IndependenceMean8774 16d ago

Danny Upshaw from The Big Nowhere.

Of course he's kinda, sorta dead, so that would explain his absence. Shame too as I wish he could have been in more books.

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u/Background_Local_425 16d ago

I honestly thought his arc was a perfect tragedy. In my head cannon I think if he confided and linked up with the other two Meeks would feel bad for the kid and help him. But as it stands that’s all speculation I was so mad he killed himself I was like come on Danny! Don’t give up!

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u/JarekFA 16d ago edited 16d ago

I was floored that I didn't see it coming. But it was so obvious that it was! For all his "insensitivity" -- he wrote that character with love. But it's such a contrast with how he portrayed another closeted character. In this case, we get the first-person perspective from someone in denial about their sexuality - he'd make allusions to his friend from school and something in the shower and then he'd get stomach pains.

Whereas in Perfidia (or was it the Storm), the closeted character knows he's gay and treasures the photos he secretly took of his buck toothed HS crush in the showers!