Norman Mailer Dies

[Virgil]

I always found him over rated, but nonetheless an important American writer of the late 20th century.


Pulitzer-Winning Author Mailer Dies
Nov 10, 8:08 AM (ET)
By RICHARD PYLE

NEW YORK (AP) - Norman Mailer, the macho prince of American letters who for decades reigned as the country's literary conscience and provocateur with such books as "The Naked and the Dead," died Saturday, his literary executor said. He was 84.

Mailer died of acute renal failure at Mount Sinai Hospital, said J. Michael Lennon, who is also the author's official biographer.

From his classic debut novel to such masterworks of literary journalism as "The Armies of the Night," the two-time Pulitzer Prize winner always got credit for insight, passion and originality.

Some of his works were highly praised, some panned, but none was pronounced the Great American Novel that seemed to be his life quest from the time he soared to the top as a brash 25-year-old "enfant terrible."

[SNIP]

You can read the rest here: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071110/D8SQQRI80.html.

[stately,plump]

Overrated, AND a wife beater! But you're right, he was a towering figure. Everyone should read Pauline Kael's review of his Marilyn Monroe book to get a good sense of what the feminist movement thought of him!

[Virgil]

Overrated, AND a wife beater! But you're right, he was a towering figure. Everyone should read Pauline Kael's review of his Marilyn Monroe book to get a good sense of what the feminist movement thought of him!

I wouldn't call him a towering figure, but I guess important. Fifty years from now I don't think he will be on people's minds like Hemingway or Faulkner.

[mtpspur]

I'm with Virgil on this one. While not having read Mailer extensively what little I had left me not hungering for more. Seemed to be famous for being a writer moreso then writing. I believe I'm being unfair to his memory but I was never his target audience.

[Dark Muse]

I only read one of his books and it was most strange and verged on pronography I thought.

[B-Mental]

I've read more than a dozen of his titles, and I know that Virgil has never been impressed. I think there was a magnetism to his style that might not be seen again. He may not be thought of in the future the way Hemingway was thought of, but he will be remembered. He was full of himself, life, and b***s***. I think that he did possess some qualities similar to Hemingway, such as living life on his own terms, writing in a distinctly 'macho' style, and the courage to say things others didn't want to say, or hear. While I would not say he inspired me, I would say that I look on his life as a last vestige of the Man as Man (all others be damned).

Many of his books are wonderful, but many are crap. His last book was such complete drivel that i would never recommend it.... as per my blog http://www.online-literature.com/forums/blogs/viewblog.php?userid=7179&entry=373

[Virgil]

Good points B-Mental. I read The Naked and the Dead, which is supposed to be his greatest novel, and while I thought it was OK, I did not see what was so spectacular that it would rank with the great novels. It's been some time but I thought it had well written parts and parts I consider childish. There was a particular passage that has stuck with me about one soldier who knew how to push all the sexual buttons on a woman. Hahaha, come on. I read Tough Guys Don't Dance and I can't remember a scene from it; nothing sticks out. I also started to read that Ancient Egyptian novel and thought it was unreadable and frankly trash. I have not read The Executioner's Song, his other highly esteemed novel. I should some day. That may actually be his greatest achievemnet, where he is a forerunner in writing the journalistic novel, where real life is recreated in fiction. But even there, Truman Capote is the real first innovator with In Cold Blood. I will agree with you that Mailer did have a distinct writing style, projecting a combativeness and sharpeness.

[Dark Muse]

I also started to read that Ancient Egyptian novel and thought it was unreadable and frankly trash.

That is the one I read and a couple of times I almost stopped reading it in the middle but I have such a hard time doing that with books

[B-Mental]

I did enjoy the Gospel According to the Son, and Barbary Shore. Barbary Shore if I remember correctly was about a capitalist, a free thinker, and a communist in an apartment building. It was an allegory about societies. The one thing I found most interesting was Mailer's description of how Capitalism requires new markets, and that wars would be waged to create these markets. It was eerily similar to post 9-11 American international politics, which we will not go into. I did really enjoy Barbary Shore, but found it difficult to read sometime.

Harlot's Ghost was the best writing he did, but it was never finished. Finally, I've never picked up the Egyptian Novel, never found it in stock anywhere. Not really sure I'd read it now after the lack of referral for it.