Things were going really well for me as I was reading what the old fellow had to say and taking in his never-ending tirades of wisdom. I was also enjoying all the advertisements and side notes about people, places, and things. By the time I reached "The White Negro," I was reading with great speed and enthusiasm, reevaluating my stance on a person I mostly didn't like, a writer who had never meant much to me except as a comical character in Gordon Lish's first novel, "Dear Mr. Capote."

However, after the "The White Negro" essay, the rest of the work started to decline. The last pages regarding Mailer's opinions of writers other than himself were rather dull for me, and I didn't agree with much of what he said, especially his silly remarks about Salinger. But the very beginning of this book was exciting. I felt as if I was in the company of a very brave man who was causing a stir. I like a good troublemaker. I love someone who simply doesn't care. All writers渴望被欣赏他们所做的事情，被认可他们辛勤创作的作品的质量。Mailer希望相信在一百年后他仍会被铭记。我不确定这是否可能，除了他塑造的巨大个性。Mailer背后的神话，他成为的名人，可能是他被铭记的真正原因，而不是他给我们的作品。就像世界上和我们这个时代的Hunter S. Thompson一样，重要的不是作家的伟大，而是他的个性。有时你两者都能得到，但在Mailer或Thompson的情况下却不是这样，尽管我确实非常喜欢Hunter Thompson的作品，但不太喜欢他的名人身份。

Norman Mailer被誉为创意非虚构文学的创新者，其涵盖范围从散文到非虚构小说。在当今该领域的明星中，我之前记录过我最喜欢的是Paul Hendrickson，尽管Paul对我写的关于他在神学院的经历和他的天主教信仰不太满意。创意非虚构文学是我最感兴趣的一种体裁，我感谢Norman Mailer和Truman Capote，他们都帮助创造了它。我可以想象恶霸Ernest Hemingway在基韦斯特殴打我最喜欢的诗人Wallace Stevens，但我很难想象Norman Mailer在任何地方用头撞击Truman Capote，但这就是围绕这两个男人及其文学关系的神话。

这是我读过的第一本Norman Mailer的书，我确定这将是我的最后一本。不是因为他的写作水平不高。Mailer是一个非常好的作家。我怀疑之后的任何一本书都无法与他和他的名人身份相媲美。我不能说我真的喜欢这个人，但我确实喜欢他的勇气，他在书页上的大胆，以及他妄想自己可能与他的英雄Hemingway和Fitzgerald处于同一水平的想法。所有这些在某种程度上都很有趣，也完全令人悲伤，但以我们所有人为代价，这本书仍然非常有趣。

My first real insight into an older white man's head came through reading Mailer.

I had never read anything of his before, and truth be told, I haven't read anything of his since.

But this particular work of his truly did the trick.

It opened up a whole new world of understanding for me, allowing me to peek into the thoughts, emotions, and perspectives of an older white man.

The words on the page seemed to come alive, painting a vivid picture of his inner turmoil, his experiences, and his beliefs.

It was a fascinating journey, one that I will never forget.

Even though I haven't delved back into Mailer's works, that initial encounter has left a lasting impression on me.

It made me realize the power of literature to connect us with different people and experiences, and to expand our own understanding of the world around us.

Perhaps one day I will pick up another Mailer book and see where it takes me.

But for now, I will cherish the insights I gained from that first reading and continue to explore the rich tapestry of human experience through the written word.

(Accidentally)

Visionary and prophetic, these are the words that come to mind when thinking about certain individuals. They seem to have an innate ability to see beyond the present and anticipate future trends and developments. Their insights often prove to be remarkably accurate, leaving us in awe of their foresight.

One such visionary might be a scientist who predicts the discovery of a new technology that will revolutionize an entire industry. Or perhaps it's a social activist who foresees the need for change and works tirelessly to bring it about. These individuals are not afraid to think outside the box and challenge the status quo.

Their prophetic nature allows them to inspire others and drive progress. They serve as a guiding light in a world that is constantly evolving. Whether it's through their inventions, ideas, or actions, visionary and prophetic individuals have the power to shape the future and leave a lasting impact on society. We should strive to learn from their example and cultivate our own ability to look beyond the obvious and envision a better tomorrow.

It was the first Mailer book I read.

This miscellany of his early fiction at Harvard, Village Voice columns and short stories is braided together by a confessional thread. It not only looks ahead to his New Journalism but also evaluates his own novels, itemizes his booze and drug-taking, right-hooks his critics and skewers his literary peers. James Jones is the only one he thought had more talent than him.

In between, he theorizes about sex, race, violence and hip existentialism. However, much of it I did not take seriously even as a 20-year-old undergraduate. The criticism of Baldwin and Bellow seems deeply unfair, and that essay also includes a dismissal of women writers.

As a critic noted, he was a "reckless talent" who, I think, had a fantastic lack of proportion about his own work, hence The Deer Park. I will talk more about that later.

The opening paragraph of "The White Negro" is brilliant, but Mailer fails to sustain it.

The mailer who wholeheartedly embraces the fact that he's an egotistical asshole is truly the best. In the book, he openly accepts and showcases his worst qualities, and quite frankly, I don't have any objections. The short stories found within its pages are rather good, offering engaging narratives and interesting characters. However, the essays are mostly filled with pseudo-intellectual psychobabble. Despite this, they are still quite fun to read. It's as if the author is playing with words and ideas, creating a unique and somewhat entertaining reading experience. Whether you love or hate his egotism, there's no denying that this mailer has a certain charm and a way of expressing himself that keeps the reader engaged.

I wasn't familiar with Norman Mailer's work before, so this particular piece served as an interesting introduction.

His introductions to the various pieces were often highly entertaining. It was almost as if one was delving into a rich anthology.

Each introduction seemed to offer a unique perspective, drawing the reader in and piquing their curiosity.

It was a pleasure to explore Mailer's thoughts and insights as he presented these different works.

Although I was new to his body of work, this introduction made me eager to learn more and discover the depth and breadth of his literary contributions.

It was an engaging and enlightening experience that left me with a newfound appreciation for Norman Mailer and his literary prowess.

This was an extremely enjoyable book from start to finish.

The somewhat lengthy dissertations on Hip and Square were not only enlightening but also provided a convenient window into 1950s culture.

Even though they might seem quaint and perhaps even dumb (though I suspect the culture they were rebelling against was even dumber), they added depth to the overall reading experience.

At one point, Mailer predicted the rise of Nazism in the future of America, which was quite prescient.

However, he based this prediction on a rewritten past and an edited version of Hitler's persona, which wasn't really necessary.

No doubt, he would have a lot to say about this matter today, especially considering he fought in the Pacific Theatre.

Sometimes, a story doesn't have to lead anywhere specific, and that's okay.

By far, the greatest strength of this book lies in the eponymous advertisements.

These advertisements truly give the reader a sense of what Mailer was grappling with and fill out the biographical details of his work, habits, responses to the world, and successes during his time.

For example, I didn't know that Mailer was one of the founders of Village Voice, but now I do.

Even though I'm not a New Yorker or an American, it's still a fascinating tidbit that I can share at literary parties (if I were ever invited).

Mailer writes beautifully, straddling the line between the 'old toff' style of construction and modern energy.

At times, he gets it absolutely perfect, to the point where I'm eager to find and read Barbary Shore and The Naked and the Dead soon, in that exact order.

The other pieces included in this compendium/memoir (Vonnegut would call it a 'blivit') are enough to make one think about their own writing and get excited about the possibility of Mailer writing a sequel.

It turns out that I love this kind of self-guided overview more than any book of external criticism, as long as it's written with the kind of heart that Miller infuses into this one.

The book rarely lost my interest, and I often found myself reading for half an hour longer than I should have (and paid for it in the morning).

This book should be read by writers and will delight most readers.

However, a note of caution: Mailer doesn't seem to care much about women.

At one point, he does recognize this within himself when he admits he can't read Woolf, but that seemed disingenuous to me, and perhaps to you as well.

Nevertheless, it doesn't change the fact that I gained an admiration for Mailer as a writer and storyteller (you'll notice that one story seems to dominate his mind after a while), and (to some extent) as a thinker.

I always enjoy a solid journey back in time, and this book provides just that.

Don't skip this one just because it says 'advertisements' on the front. It still has a lot of moxy.

This book is a compilation of Mailer's early work.

It encompasses a wide range of writings, including stories from his days at Harvard and high school. He also served as a columnist for The Village Voice and provided a scathing review of the work by his contemporaries. Among these, the review of his contemporaries stands out the most.

Mailer was extremely critical of Kerouac's writing style. However, when he met Kerouac, he liked him more than he had expected and felt that Kerouac was tired. He had thoughts on Salinger, Styron, Ellison, and Hemingway, and none of them were very kind. This is in opposition to his hatred of judgmental readers, which he expounded on at length shortly before this section.

The book also features a thorough exploration of Samuel Beckett's new play "Waiting for Godot." Additionally, Mailer delved into the topic of censorship while trying to publish "The Deer Park." He had to approach six publishers before finding one that would keep the script and the sex scenes intact.

His exploration of the Hipster culture, which would soon become the Beatniks, is rather outdated. Nevertheless, many of the stories remain relevant. One such story is "The Homosexual Villain," where Mailer grappled with his own bigotry on the subject in a piece for One, a gay magazine in California.

This might very well be Mailer's finest book.

It truly showcases the most outstanding facets of his remarkable art.

The three long stories contained within are, without a doubt, among his very best works of fiction.

They draw the reader in with their captivating plots and well-developed characters.

Moreover, some of the essays included in this volume are equally compelling.

They offer unique perspectives and thought-provoking insights on a variety of topics.

Mailer's writing style is engaging and powerful, making this book a must-read for any lover of literature.

Whether you are a fan of his previous works or new to his writing, this book is sure to leave a lasting impression.

It is a testament to Mailer's talent and creativity as a writer.

Overall, this book is a masterpiece that should be cherished and studied for years to come.

482 ratings, take THAT, Norman Mailer!

So much for advertising for yourself. Let me tell you, buddy. If I know anything about the upcoming generation of writers (and I don't), they are going to HATE your work. It's way too masculine. But you believed in a form of greatness that simply doesn't exist anymore.

The earthlings of 2100 may find some use for your work, but it'll be a long wait till then. As a film noir man, I was aware of how awash America was with Freudianism. However, I was surprised by how much of it splashed onto these works. The subconscious really meant something back then.

The beauty of this book is that you can skip whatever section you want. And for those of you who've read it: "It was the ganja that made me do it," hhahaa.

It seems that Mailer's style and beliefs are not in line with what the future generation of writers might appreciate. His work may have been influenced by the Freudianism prevalent in America at that time, but it might not resonate with today's or tomorrow's readers. The ability to skip sections in the book provides some flexibility for the readers. And that little quip about the ganja adds a touch of humor to the whole discussion.

Overall, while Mailer may have had his own vision of literary greatness, it remains to be seen how his work will be received in the long run.

A collection of articles and short stories penned by Mailer is presented here, with him providing forewords for each individual piece. Spanning over 500 pages, it surprisingly remains a relatively quick read. However, Mailer truly tires me. He seems to be confined by his overinflated ego. I couldn't help but dislike his patronizing appraisals of other authors. Interestingly, when it comes to female authors, he couldn't seem to find any that he deemed worthy of reading, or so I paraphrase. Some of the subject matter has unfortunately been diminished by the passage of time. No one nowadays really cares about the minutiae of how Hipsters differ from Beatniks. Moreover, he associated with people who had rather embarrassing affectations. I was actually quite unaware that he was one of the founders of The Village Voice. Given all of this, I have no plans whatsoever to read his other works.

Mailer appears to be a significant transitional figure in the American zeitgeist.

He is a proponent of the attention-seeking attitude that, after decades of development, has reached a new height on the internet.

Nevertheless, he counterbalances this self-centeredness with intellectual strictness, or more accurately, the semblance of intellectual strictness, which has not been as easily transferred to Web 2.0.

Mailer's work and ideas have had a profound impact on American culture and literature.

His writing often explores themes of identity, masculinity, and power, and his use of vivid language and bold imagery makes his works both engaging and thought-provoking.

Despite the challenges of the digital age, Mailer's legacy continues to influence contemporary writers and thinkers, and his work remains relevant today.

As we continue to navigate the ever-changing landscape of the internet and social media, Mailer's insights into the human condition and the power of the written word serve as a valuable reminder of the importance of intellectual rigor and self-expression.