The story presented is extremely convoluted, making it a real challenge to follow. The protagonist, unfortunately, is not a likable character at all. A significant portion of the action unfolds solely within his mind. In the physical realm, there are a total of seven murders. However, most of these occur offstage, which is perhaps a relief considering how brutal they are. Moreover, the characters involved in these murders are ones that we scarcely get to know and care about even less. I found it impossible to keep track of who was who, who was killing whom, and the reasons behind their actions. The entire book gave the impression of being nothing more than a writing exercise. Mailer is indeed one of the literary greats, and the literary techniques and pyrotechnics he employed here were likely far beyond my comprehension. But, despite all that, in the end, the story simply sucked, and I would not recommend it to anyone.

It's a real disappointment considering Mailer's reputation. The lack of a clear and engaging narrative, along with the unlikable characters and confusing plot, makes this a book that fails to deliver on any real level. It's a shame that such a talented author could produce something that falls so short of expectations.

A Difficult Novel to Evaluate

Normal Mailer is a challenging author. At times, he is brilliant, while at others, he is less so. I believe this is one of his lesser works.

The basic setup is classical and has been used in several novels and movies: Did he do it or didn't he? Since he doesn't remember. It sounds quite familiar, doesn't it?

This time, the clueless person is also the narrator, so it's a bit more difficult to maintain a neutral attitude towards his dilemma, whether he is guilty or not guilty, when the reader naturally identifies with the person. It's hard to be neutral when it's a question about "me".

The plot was complicated, as were the characters. Who did what to whom and when was as tangled as spaghetti. Somehow, it seemed unnecessary, and I got the feeling that the story itself was irrelevant and that telling it was the point. Style without a true meaning.

Norman Mailer himself directed a movie based on this novel in 1987, starring Ryan O'Neal. I can't recall whether I've seen it or not, but some happenings in the novel appeared so familiar that maybe I have.

I recommend this with a grain of salt. I can't judge this properly. Perhaps you can.

Kovat kundit eivät tanssi
WSOY 1986

Solid.

If you are in search of something that can serve as an effective entry point into Norman Mailer's unique brand of insanity and yet also functions relatively well as a crime novel, then this is the one to go for.

It offers an interesting blend of the two elements, allowing readers to explore Mailer's idiosyncratic style while still enjoying the thrills and mysteries typically associated with a crime story.

However, if your expectations are set on a traditional, legitimate whodunit, then you might be disappointed.

This work doesn't strictly adhere to the conventions of that particular subgenre.

It has its own charm and appeal, but it may not satisfy those who are specifically looking for a classic, by-the-numbers mystery with a clear solution and a linear narrative.

Nevertheless, for those willing to embrace Mailer's unconventional approach and explore the intersection of insanity and crime, this novel can be a fascinating read.

The third book of Norman Mailer that I read after the excellent "The Fight" which I read in 2017 and the epic and amazing "The Naked and the Dead" which I read in January 2021. And maybe this time I won't give five stars as in the previous two, but still it was a very powerful and special reading experience. The book surely held me in its grip thanks to its madness and Mailer's enjoyable prose. With the stormy and at times rather obsessive narrative, it dragged me into a violent and dark world.

Mailer writes a tough novel (perhaps with a bit of satirical disposition), quite violent and with crazy characters, touching on various themes related to New Yorkers and their psyches, with sex, money, human vanity and madness. With political correctness being more absent than ever, the book is able to upset many sensitive stomachs, especially in our era. What can we do? We are talking about Mailer now, some things are expected.

Also, I think the plot has its issues. Here and there it may be more confusing and complex than it should be and some questions probably remain unanswered. But in the face of the amazing writing, the incredible atmosphere and the madness of the characters, who cares about any flaws in the plot? I, at least, not so much. I don't recommend it blindly to everyone, but still I once declare myself satisfied.

What a difficult book to comment on.

It is a noir, perverse, crazy novel with completely outlandish characters. Mailer doesn't hold back when it comes to talking about homosexuality, excesses, and machismo... and he does it brilliantly.

Tim Madden, a failed writer, wakes up with a hangover, a name from the past tattooed on his arm, and a female head severed at the neck and buried in his marijuana plantation. The book consists of a delirious reconstruction of the events that led to that horrifying scene.

It may be liked more or less, but it is more than certain that its reading will not be at all indifferent to the reader.

This novel takes the reader on a wild ride through a world of darkness and depravity. The characters are complex and flawed, and the story is full of twists and turns that keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

Mailer's writing is vivid and engaging, and he manages to create a sense of atmosphere that is both palpable and disturbing.

Overall, this is a book that will stay with you long after you've finished reading it.

People often claim that this book is deficient in plot, and they are indeed correct in this assessment.

Similarly, they assert that the characters are both unsympathetic and trashy, and once again, this observation holds true.

However, despite these flaws, I can't help but have a liking for it.

The reason for this lies in Mailer's engaging prose. His writing style has a certain allure that draws the reader in and keeps them hooked, even when the story and characters may not be immediately appealing.

Perhaps it is the unique way in which he crafts his sentences, or the vivid imagery he creates, that makes the book so captivating.

Whatever the reason, it is clear that Mailer's talent as a writer shines through, even in a work that has its fair share of shortcomings.

In a box tucked away somewhere, I still possess all of my Norman Mailer books. My relationship with his works can only be described as ambivalent. At that time, I regarded him as brilliant, yet I also found a significant portion of his work to be howlingly awful, often simultaneously. (Just look at Harlot's Ghost, a novel that fluctuates wildly between greatness and terribleness, and one that I remember loving beyond all rational explanation.)

Take this particular novel. It is a typically overwrought rendition of a noirish thriller, melding Mailer's customary obsessions (such as drugs, drink, what he considered kinky sex, gunplay, and long-outdated notions of masculinity, among other things) into a rather overwritten melodrama. Logically, it should be unreadable, it should not function, and it should be nothing more than laughable. And yet, miraculously, it works marvelously.

Or at least it seemed that way at the time. I'll place my trust in my younger self and his perception of the book: monstrously entertaining, and written with a sort of heedless glee in the absurdity of it all. But with the understanding that taking the project seriously is the key to making it succeed.

I really need to unearth that copy and reread it to see if it still holds up. And when I do, I will report back here.

(Also, it was made into an execrable Ryan O'Neal movie, which should be avoided at all costs.)

The real protagonist of Norman Mailer’s Tough Guys Don’t Dance is Provincetown.

Tom, the main character, represents the town as his mind frequently drifts to small memories of historical or personal significance that don't really advance the narrative of what is supposed to be the story.

The story pretends to be a murder mystery involving his ex-wife, a woman and man he just met, the town's undercover narc, an old school chum, and some rather seedy characters. However, they are not the focal point of the story; instead, they serve as mere set dressing for a love song to the author's memories of Provincetown.

This makes for a very uncomfortable read as you are constantly taken out of the story to read some fact or fancy about the geography, what it is like to grow up there, or what feeling the author has about the place.

The only person I can identify as a hero in this tale is Tom's father, an old ex-bartender dying of cancer and attempting to connect with his son.

The last chapter is truly remarkable, though, and if you can persevere that far, it is well worth the price of admission.

So this was my first Mailer, which is rather amusing.

It seems to be a bit of a stylistic detour for him into the genre of hard-boiled mystery. Apparently, he also wrote it solely to fulfill contractual obligations.

Neither of these are especially promising signs for a new reader like me, so I was a bit hesitant. However, it ended up captivating me.

Despite being a rather bumpy ride at times, I did finish it and felt that it hit some sort of obscure, unseemly spot in my id in a greasy and satisfying way.

Mailer's prose, when he's really going full throttle, is wonderfully idiosyncratic in a "I really don't give a damn" kind of way.

"Tough Guys Don't Dance" is about a man who wakes up with a severe hangover and a cloud of bourbon obscuring his memories of the previous night.

I think most of us can relate to that. I've certainly had nights where I've had too much and woken up feeling like absolute rubbish, with "what the hell happened last night" echoing in my head.

But how many of us wake up from a night of overindulgence and find a woman's decapitated head in our private outdoor weed stash?

Hopefully, none, but you never know with the Goodreads crowd.

Our protagonist, such as he is, sets out to solve the mystery, mostly through intense and lengthy self-examination, recollection of awkward and painful formative moments, and conversations with the numerous eccentric characters in his town of Provincetown, Massachusetts.

This is all interspersed with a great deal of rumination on sex and masculinity, and I mean a lot.

I remember there was one paragraph that was literally just a bunch of (admittedly creative) adjectives related to a vagina.

This didn't really contribute to the story and was clearly Mailer indulging in his dirty-old-man phase (what I've read of "Ancient Evenings" confirms that he was indeed in that phase), but it could be entertaining in a lurid, funny way.

One thing he definitely achieved in his goal of writing a hard-boiled detective story is the ridiculously convoluted plot.

This isn't a long novel by any means, but by the time I was about two-thirds of the way through, I was really struggling to keep all the pieces straight.

The writer's tendency to engage in hallucinatory examinations of memory, ideals, and one's own character at any given moment didn't help at all.

Still, the density never became an actual chore, and even if I started to get lost in the plot or tired of Mailer's endless digressions, there was always a sense of another "Oh man, he really went there" moment just around the corner.

And if nothing else, it gave birth to the hilarious YouTube clip from the film adaptation where the main character just keeps repeating "Oh god, oh man, oh god!" in the most absurd, over-the-top way possible.

You will laugh, but in this book there is also a dead wife. After all, this is an important image for the mailer.

The text is grotesque and even trashy, yet in a good way, like the classics of horror cinema, where the budget is enough for only two locations, the actors overact all the time, and from the beginning, fountains of expressively butchered blood are splashing.

It's a strange and captivating combination that keeps the reader engaged. The idea of a dead wife as a central image adds an element of mystery and darkness.

Despite the grotesque nature of the text, there is a certain charm to it, much like the allure of horror movies that draw us in with their macabre and thrilling scenes.

Perhaps it's the unexpectedness and the boldness of the author's choices that make this book stand out.

Whether you love it or hate it, it's hard to deny that it makes an impression.

I discovered this book when I was attempting to locate a copy of my Controls textbook on one of those illegal document sharing websites. The summary appeared to be adequately interesting. Giving things a try is frequently a good approach, not necessarily because I will enjoy them immediately, but rather because there is a possibility that I might. And if I don't give them a chance, I'll never know.

However, this book disappoints in numerous aspects. It comes across as extremely contrived. Nevertheless, the cliff-hanger endings of the chapters are rather captivating. On a superficial level, it seems to offer quite a bit, such as the content regarding sexuality. The narrator's background is interesting, yet it is presented in a lackluster fashion. The ending consists of just two exchanges that recap the events of the mystery, which is rather lame. It took me an extremely long time to read this book, despite it being only 200 pages. It's not the type of book I prefer, but it will surely appeal to someone else. Mailer fills it with aesthetic, introspective filler that makes me want to hurl it against the wall.

Overall, my experience with this book was a mixed bag. While it had some redeeming qualities like the cliff-hangers, it ultimately failed to live up to my expectations due to its contrived nature and lackluster presentation. I'm glad I gave it a chance, but it's not a book I would recommend or read again.

The original article seems a bit unclear. However, I will try to rewrite and expand it based on what I understand.

The story was truly amazing. It had the most extreme limits that pushed the boundaries of imagination.

The characters were so vivid and their actions were filled with excitement.

There were also some fantastic one liners that added a touch of humor and made the whole experience even more enjoyable.

As I read through the article, I was constantly on the edge of my seat, eager to see what would happen next.

The author's writing style was engaging and kept me hooked from start to finish.

Overall, it was a great read that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for an exciting and entertaining story.