No career in modern American letters is at once so brilliant, varied, and controversial as that of Norman Mailer. In a span of more than six decades, Mailer has searched into subjects ranging from World War II to Ancient Egypt, from the march on the Pentagon to Marilyn Monroe, from Henry Miller and Mohammad Ali to Jesus Christ. Now, in "The Castle in the Forest, " his first major work of fiction in more than a decade, Mailer offers what may be his consummate literary endeavor: He has set out to explore the evil of Adolf ...
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No career in modern American letters is at once so brilliant, varied, and controversial as that of Norman Mailer. In a span of more than six decades, Mailer has searched into subjects ranging from World War II to Ancient Egypt, from the march on the Pentagon to Marilyn Monroe, from Henry Miller and Mohammad Ali to Jesus Christ. Now, in "The Castle in the Forest, " his first major work of fiction in more than a decade, Mailer offers what may be his consummate literary endeavor: He has set out to explore the evil of Adolf Hitler. The narrator, a mysterious SS man who is later revealed to be an exceptional presence, gives us young Adolf from birth, as well as Hitler's father and mother, his sisters and brothers, and the intimate details of his childhood and adolescence. A tapestry of unforgettable characters, "The Castle in the Forest" delivers its playful twists and surprises with astonishing insight into the nature of the struggle between good and evil that exists in us all. At its core is a hypothesis that propels this novel and makes it a work of stunning originality. Now, on the eve of his eighty-fourth birthday, Norman Mailer may well be saying more than he ever has before.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Good condition. Good dust jacket. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
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Seller's Description:
Fine In archival mylar jacket. First Edition. First edition, first printing. DJ with light edge wear, now protected in archival mylar. Boards and spine intact. No markings to pages. Tracking available on most domestic orders.
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-1. Stated First Edition, first printing with full number line in fine/ like new condition. The pages are clean and crisp with no bent corners. Boards are as new, and the spine is square and tight. The dust jacket is clean and undamaged. The book is in excellent condition with an unclipped DJ, and no remainder mark. All items guaranteed, and a portion of each sale supports social programs in Los Angeles. Ships from CA.
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Very Good in Very Good jacket. First Printing with full number line. Very good hardcover in very good dust jacket. Binding is tight, sturdy, and square; boards and text also very good. NOT an ex-library copy, NO remainder mark, NOT a book club. Ships from Dinkytown in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Due to the size/weight of this book extra charges may apply for international shipping.
The core of "A Castle in the Forest" is the development of Hitler as he is groomed by an agent of the devil . The book is narrated by Hitler's handler, an apparently low level agent of the devil. The idea is more intriguing than the book. I found the book to be too compelling to put down but draggy enough that I couldn't wait to finish it and move on. The character development was skimpy and perhaps a example of the mundane and boring nature of evil.
Yogi
Nov 25, 2007
Worth the decade of study !
I have read the book twice through. The first time because I could not wait to see what happened next. The second time just to make sure I understood the twisted way that he can make the connections to Adolf Hitler as a child into the monster that he became. It was weird to see the way of which Hitler might have actualy grown up. The research that was put into this book rivals that of Lois L'Amour. The format and the story line are excellant. I am sure I will read it many more times
Ron Townsend
Oct 16, 2007
Genaphobia
Having read only 28 pages of the new paperback version of this book I am disappointed that Mailer went back over old territory trying to explode the genaphonia of Himmler and other Hitler henchmen. Afterall this was what the euthanasia program of the Nazis was based on and what makes Hitler a complete idiot and incompetent. I am so tired of hearing of Mischling third degree in relation to the euthenics programs of Hitler that I would like to puke. Anyone knows the devil was behind the work of Hitler but not to such a great extend that Mailer has wasted. I am sorry. I can't recommend this book for any reason even if it's premise was commendable.
jwsorrow
Apr 4, 2007
Not a great effort
Sorry to say that this is far from one of Mailer's better efforts. He still has a wonderful narrative style and uses words well, but the story was really rather weak.
The idea of trying to develop an explanation for Hilter's psyche based on his childhood development, as explained by a desciple of the devil is intriguing, but he doesn't pull it off.
The story is really centered around the father and the artifact of incest as the basic source of HIlter's personality is weak.
Skip it and go back to several of his earlier novels.