Norman Mailer

[Patrick_Bateman]

I particularly want to talk about "An American Dream"

The prose is delightfully hypnotic and loaded with metaphor. I don't think I've ever read such convoluted and dazzling descriptions of sexual intercourse.

The story itself is quite remarkable too.
It's considered one of his lesser works but I believe it to be scintillating.

I don't read many American authors but he joins Hemingway, Easton Ellis, Bradbury and Fante as my favourite.

[ariella]

Uhh well I read 'the executioner's song' 2/3rds of the way through, I found it hard to continue because it got to the point where it was all about how the newsreporters & film producers wanted to get in on the story of Gary gilmore's trial & execution. Up to that point it was perfectly ok to read but the whole thing is slightly glorifying Gary Gilmore who shot some random Innocent people, nothing to be particularly proud of and it has to include the sloppy love letters between some poor naive girl (divorced twice teenaged mother of 2) & Gary, in fact that seemed to be what the whole book is about, you kind of just feel sorry for the unfortunate people that happened to be involved or sucked into mr Gilmore's life if anything. I am not sure why Norman mailer decided to write a book about Gary Gilmore and try to show him in a positive way it seemed- cause he really wasn't all
that interesting. But it was kind of while since I stopped Reading so I cannot remember many details, the reviews kind of put me off attempting to finish it as well since it's so long & probably didn't have to be dragged out that far. But most people seemed to have a negative opinion of it, I didn't think it that bad 'cause I try to be openminded.

[Jassy Melson]

I have the same opinion with The Executioner's Song and with Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. They inadvertantly gloriefied both Gary Gilmore and the two killers in In Cold Blood. Mailer was suckered again when he worked to allow a killer to write a book while in prison and have it published: In the Belly of the Beast. Mailer worked to get the murderer released from prison, which was finally done. When the killer was released he ended up murdering someone.