Customer Reviews

Charlie Rose with Ken Auletta; Norman Mailer (January 29, 2003)

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The first part of this interview is enjoying. Mailer talks about writing and his understanding of his own role as writer. He speaks of his ambition to have written the 'great American novel'. His sense that he has fallen short. For him the great novel would transform the consciousness of the society. He speaks about great novels as at some point becoming 'boring' to their readers because there is too much newness in them. He speaks of the writers' he most admires. He is out of synch with contemporary judgment in his regard for Dos Passos as one of the great American novelists. He speaks of his books and says perhaps three will endure for one- hundred years, "Executioner's Song" "Ancient Evenings" " Harlequin's Ghost" He admits however his work "Naked and the Dead" may be the most durable of all since people according to him will always be interested in war , whether there is war or not. He adds a small aside wondering whether we will still be here a hundred years from now. A not unreasonable question.
He then talks about the war in Iraq. Here his tone changes, and he becomes badgering and annoying. He is probably right however in one thing he says that it is not the war itself , but the aftermath which will be problematic.
Rose is as always a considerate and knowledgable host.