Mythic Mailer in An American Dream: Difference between revisions
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[[Norman Mailer]]‘s book ''An American Dream'' has been acclaimed by many critics, including the author himself, as possibly his finest novel. On the other hand, many scholars have attacked it for its unrealistic plotline and unbelievable characters. Reviews of the book were decidedly mixed. ''Life'' magazine called it “by conventional standards . . . a grotesquely implausible book, full of horrific occurrences and characters who appear to uniformly insane.”{{sfn|Aldridge|1965|p=12}} On the positive side, Joan Didion claimed “''An American Dream'' is one more instance in which Mailer is going to laugh last, for it is a remarkable book.”{{sfn|Didion|1965|p=39}} Mailer scholar [[J. Michael Lennon]] writes that “The book’s defenders, with few exceptions, [have] tended to see the novel as myth, fantasy, or allegory.”{{sfn|Lennon|1986|p=9}} | [[Norman Mailer]]‘s book ''An American Dream'' has been acclaimed by many critics, including the author himself, as possibly his finest novel. On the other hand, many scholars have attacked it for its unrealistic plotline and unbelievable characters. Reviews of the book were decidedly mixed. ''Life'' magazine called it “by conventional standards . . . a grotesquely implausible book, full of horrific occurrences and characters who appear to be uniformly insane.”{{sfn|Aldridge|1965|p=12}} On the positive side, Joan Didion claimed “''An American Dream'' is one more instance in which Mailer is going to laugh last, for it is a remarkable book.”{{sfn|Didion|1965|p=39}} Mailer scholar [[J. Michael Lennon]] writes that “The book’s defenders, with few exceptions, [have] tended to see the novel as myth, fantasy, or allegory.”{{sfn|Lennon|1986|p=9}} | ||
In support of interpreting ''An American Dream'' as a myth, I begin by citing Joseph L. Blotner’s description of mythic exegesis of literature: | In support of interpreting ''An American Dream'' as a myth, I begin by citing Joseph L. Blotner’s description of mythic exegesis of literature: | ||