Norman Mailer, a dissenting view

Pajamas Media ^ | 11/10/2007 | Roger Kimball

[359Henrie]

Reread post, slap down on Mailer. And I thought it was a good one. Must work on my sarcasm.

[tang-soo]

...responsible for releasing the Dionysian strain in American life.

Friedrich Nietzsche worshiped at the feet of Dionysus - basically the Greek goddess of "Partying".

[Recovering_Democrat]

Frankly, I think while the body is still warm, respect for the dead ought to be observed. I am sure Mailer was a leftist to the nth degree. Nevertheless, observations contrary to respectfulness and sympathy for the family should be withheld until a sufficient time has passed.

The left were downright giddy when Jerry Falwell died, and that was disrespectful, too.

Words of criticism have their place, of course, but not immediately following the death of a celebrity.

[TalBlack]

“...Which means?...”

That Mailer was making it up as he went along. ‘Theology in action’ is another form for ‘reality’ or ‘the real world’. These are the standard qualifyers used by people who don’t have the balls to accept The Word of God as it was handed down.

[Liberty Wins]

Norman Mailer was the poster boy for the world liberals created for us. A guy with so-so talent who made hedonism into a religion.

[phillyfanatic]

I think the good wrtier, Tom Wolfe has made some nice sarcastic remarks about Norm’s literary style. Wolfe will be remembered as a better writer if the NY Times ever burns down!

[tlb]

I was amongst the group not terribly impressed by Mailer. From an earlier thread:

It’s been a very long time since I even tried to read any Mailer. The last one I finished was his about the moon launch. It had enough behind the scenes information about the NASA culture and launch event to finish, but his method of making it all secondary to HIM, (ie-Aquarius) was pathetic. Not Armstrong, not NASA, not the moon itself, the only story he really was telling was Mailer. And wasn’t the world lucky NASA was created to provide him a mirror where he could look at himself.

“Ancient Evenings” I tried to read. I made it through about 60 pages before casting it aside. Gibberish from a man who seemed like he was being paid by the word and intended to cash in.

A pre-People magazine “celebrity”. If he hadn’t been such a celebrity he might actually have lived up to the role he imagined for himself. The books might then have been about the stories, instead of just fuel for his ego. I can’t imagine time will be kind to his work or reputation.

27 posted on 11/11/2007 12:36:35 AM PST by tlb

[infowarrior]

Friedrich Nietzsche worshiped at the feet of Dionysus - basically the Greek goddess of "Partying".

Dionysos, or Bacchus (if you were of Rome) was a *male* deity. He was often depicted as having the legs and feet of a goat, so could be said to have been "the original party animal"...

the infowarrior

[infowarrior]

Wolfe will be remembered as a better writer if the NY Times ever burns down!

Thomas Wolfe will be remembered as a better writer than Norman Mailer, by anyone with a sense of what makes literature, period... It matters not if the NY Times burns down, gets swallowed whole, or remains standing for a thousand millenia...

the infowarrior