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Eiichi Yaminishi, January 27, 1965: Difference between revisions

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I’m a little concerned that ''An American Dream'' is going to have a piece added to it to make up a suitable length for the book.<ref>Mailer refers to the Japanese edition of the novel.</ref> I think this tends to diminish the respect people might feel for a novel as a complete novel. It is after all a longer book than half the novels which appear here in a year.<ref>Mailer is satisfied with the length of the novel, which he had just finished cutting by almost 2,000 words. The Dial edition contains 96,910 words; the ''Esquire'' version has 98,796.</ref> Is there no possibility that they could use larger type? See if it is possible to discuss this matter with the editors of World Literature.
I’m a little concerned that ''An American Dream'' is going to have a piece added to it to make up a suitable length for the book.<ref>Mailer refers to the Japanese edition of the novel.</ref> I think this tends to diminish the respect people might feel for a novel as a complete novel. It is after all a longer book than half the novels which appear here in a year.<ref>Mailer is satisfied with the length of the novel, which he had just finished cutting by almost 2,000 words. The Dial edition contains 96,910 words; the ''Esquire'' version has 98,796.</ref> Is there no possibility that they could use larger type? See if it is possible to discuss this matter with the editors of World Literature.


Yes, the news about the movie is true. Warner Brothers has bought it<ref>Warner Brothers paid Mailer $200,000 for the screen rights to the novel.</ref> and we are making a movie of it sometime in the future. At first they almost didn’t buy it because they were unhappy with the title. They wanted me to change the title to “Strong Are the Lonely.” Do you know, Eiichi, they are even more fantastic than what one has written about them. I, of course, refused and subsequently they bought the book. Don’t you know that if I had accepted their title, they would doubtless have decided finally not to buy the book. The secret reason for the dislike of ''An American Dream'' turns out to be that the films with the word “American” in them do poorly at the box office, not in Asia, not in Europe, but here, right here. It seems America is tired of hearing about America. What a curious nation we are. Sometimes I think we are coming out of a long illness.
Yes, the news about the movie is true. [[w:Warner Bros.|Warner Brothers]] has bought it<ref>Warner Brothers paid Mailer $200,000 for the screen rights to the novel.</ref> and we are making a movie of it sometime in the future. At first they almost didn’t buy it because they were unhappy with the title. They wanted me to change the title to “Strong Are the Lonely.” Do you know, Eiichi, they are even more fantastic than what one has written about them. I, of course, refused and subsequently they bought the book. Don’t you know that if I had accepted their title, they would doubtless have decided finally not to buy the book. The secret reason for the dislike of ''An American Dream'' turns out to be that the films with the word “American” in them do poorly at the box office, not in Asia, not in Europe, but here, right here. It seems America is tired of hearing about America. What a curious nation we are. Sometimes I think we are coming out of a long illness.


All best to you and to your family,
All best to you and to your family,
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===Notes===
===Notes===
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