--- In
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "Chris M"
<cptpipes@h...> wrote:
> John asked:
> >someone please explain why Mailer is considered
literature. I
find him
> >pretentious and unreadable. oh, did I just
answer my own question?
>
> Most of Mailer's work I just don't have time for
with all the other
great
> books out there. But The Executioner's Song is a
masterpiece, and
Tough Guys
> is a fun read (or I at least thought it was when I
read it for an
essay in
> high school).
I rather liked the early Mailer I read but slowly soured on
him as his ego seemed to smother his talent. Many of his
books were unreadable. It was with some reluctance I
purchased THE EXECUTIONER'S SONG when it came out but my
fascination with capital punishment won out over my distaste
for Mailer. My first shock (and it was certainly more than
"surprise") was the absence of the Mailer ego, which had
dominated his books for years. The crisp and objective prose
allowed the power of the story to take center stage and
command the readers' attention. It's a wonderful book and one
of the great reading experiences of my life. To me there is
great irony that Mailer's "work for hire" outshines his
ponderous attempts at literature.
Richard Moore
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