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A review by kjvelz
The Armies of the Night: History as a Novel, the Novel as History by Norman Mailer
4.0
You know what? I AM NOT FINISHING BOOK TWO. It's a lot of drivel - I skimmed it, it's just a regurgitation of Book One in a boring, historical way -- no need to make myself read more.
I loved this book, but I also hated this book, because Norman Mailer is that asshole you date because he's an artistic genius, but his genius does not change the fact that he is an asshole, and genius does not inherently make you a person worthy of my time.
Regardless, I liked it. I would read more Mailer. I enjoyed the New Journalism of it all, I liked analyzing it, but it wasn't a book that I would re-read and say, "Gosh, this is brilliant and fun to read!" Still, it taught me a lot from a literary perspective, and I wrote a cool paper on it.
I loved this book, but I also hated this book, because Norman Mailer is that asshole you date because he's an artistic genius, but his genius does not change the fact that he is an asshole, and genius does not inherently make you a person worthy of my time.
Regardless, I liked it. I would read more Mailer. I enjoyed the New Journalism of it all, I liked analyzing it, but it wasn't a book that I would re-read and say, "Gosh, this is brilliant and fun to read!" Still, it taught me a lot from a literary perspective, and I wrote a cool paper on it.