Harlot's Ghost: A Novel

Mailer is arguably the best American writer of the 20th Century. Everything he writes is a pleasure to read because of his particular, and inimicable style. But this work may be the best of all, the Great American Novel which he always sought to write. It seems not to have been properly publicised when it was written, probably because of the deep disclosures of CIA activities at the time. Ostensibly a work of fiction, it is far more factual, again a signature characteristic of Mailer. In fact I have read the book at least three times. I am compelled to read it again every few years when I become bored reading anything else because nothing else is both so well written and so exciting, in its own way.

If you have time to spare, this may be for you,and, even at over 1100 pages it's a good read. A fictional account of the CIA as seen by the hero, agent Harry Hubbard. Through Watergate, the Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, Mafia, JFK, Marlyn Monroe, Sinatra, Castro, Helms, Dulles, Hoover, all the political dramas of the 50's and 60's, and CIA/FBI rivalry. Harlot, Hubbard's godfather, and Cal his father, are very senior CIA men. Even the love of his life, Kittredge, is CIA, and much of the story is told in letters between the two. This is not James Bond, even though assassination plots, sabotage,and heaps of sex, abound. My main criticism of the book is that the numerous characters, real or fictional, can be referred to by surname, first name, cover name, or a CIA cryptonym, which can make it confusing. There is a decode at the end of the book which is hard to continually access if you're on Kindle. I wish I had taken notes!

I'd gotten used to Mailer's non-fiction and assumed his best fiction-writing days ("Naked and the Dead," "The Deer Park") were long over, but this big book published in '91 has just been impossible to put down. One critic is quoted calling it "the 'War and Peace' of the Cold War," and it's certainly a tour-de-force portrayal of the CIA, its methods and motives. It's also a superb example of story-telling strategies by a writer who usually got more credit for his insights than for being a master of the nuts-and-bolts of craft.

"Harlot's Ghost" is a major novel by a major, and unique American novelist, Norman Mailer. Originally published in 1992, it was a return to form for Mailer after many years in which he was better known for his non-fiction and his highly public boozing and brawling lifestyle. While it is worthy of being celebrated for many not inconsiderable virtues, it is also seriously flawed: overlong, plodding and inconclusive (the novel closes with the words "To Be Continued" but it never was.) It is probably best enjoyed by someone who shares some of the author's obsessions with the CIA, the Kennedy assasination and the ideals associated with male vigor that the generation that came of age during World War II adhered to prior to the sexual revolution of the 60s. It is a fictionalized account of the CIA, focusing on the years between 1955 and 1963, culiminating in the assasination of President Kennedy. (As a point of reference, Robert deNiro's recent film "The Good Shephard" covers similar ground.) It's sweeping narrative encompasses a number of factual tales along the way, including the spying tunnel built by the CIA under East Berlin in the 50's and the book's centerpiece, the CIA's involvement in the Bay of Pigs fiasco in 1961, the CIA's bungled attempt at an invasion of Cuba to foment a counter-revolution against Castro. It is informed by the extensive airing of the CIA's penchant for "dirty tricks" that became public in the wake of the Watergate scandal. Mailer's novelization covers this factual ground in a relatively entertaining fashion using a fictinal narrator named Herrick (Harry) Hubbard. He is himself a CIA operative and witness to many of these real-life events. Hubbard is a Company insider, to the manor born through both his father and his godfather (whose code name is Harlot of the title), both legendary OSS agents during WWII who are then present at the creation of the American spy agency built to contest the Soviet KGB at the outset of the Cold War. Harlot is modeled on the famous CIA superspy James Jesus Angleton, and Harry Hubbard doing his bidding is Harlot's ghost of the title. There are a number of serious problems with the book which are perhaps accentuated by that tantalizing "To Be Continued." The narrative arc of Hubbard's education into both his chosen profession and the erotic mysteries of sex is episodic & inconclusive. Hubbard's memoir is awkwardly fashioned mainly from a clandestine correspondnce he carries on with Harlot's attractive young wife, Kittredge, who also happens to be employed by the CIA. The voluminous and unctuous letter-writing campaign is fatal to the book. The secret letters are explicit acts of betrayal and confession for both Harry and Kittredge. But instead of having an edge that sparkles, the letters fizzle and our interest in the authors wanes. The correspondence is downright boring in large patches, and elsewhere strains the credularity of the Reader -- who are these people? -- in many other passages. Neither Harry or Kittredge ever develop into characters with any spark of life. They are not believable. The Reader never musters much sympathy for these rather wooden, one-dimensional protagonists. Another problem is they are really on the edge of most of the action, never comprehending the bigger picture, murky as it is in this nether-world of spooks (real and imnagined) and double agents. Mailer labors mightily to make this creaky narrative apparatus work, but it doesn't quite. Numerous real personages put in both cameo and extended appearances, among them E. Howard Hunt (later of Watergate fame), Allen Dulles, J Edgar Hoover, Robert Kennedy, Wild Bill Harvey (who unmasked the high ranking British double agent Kim Philby), and a juicy, fictionalized version of Judith Campbell Exner, the beautiful and sexy mistress of both JFK and mob kingpin Sam Giancana (by way of Frank Sinatra). The CIA's tragic-comic experiments with LSD, its collusion with organized crime to assasinate Castro, the extensive wire-tapping on US citizens performed by FBI under J Edgar Hoover are well-documented events that are woven into the plot. In Mailer hands, it is a rich brew, even if it all doesn't quite come together. The narrative gels in many sections as young Harry learns his tradecraft during a stint in Uruguay in the late '50s or makes a daring midnight raid on the coast of Cuba during the 1962 missile crisis that brought the US and the Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear war. But the length of the book, its many sodden passages, and its lack of any sort of a coherent conclusion may cause you to wonder -- a 1000+ pages later -- whether it was worth the ride.

After reading so many books from today’s so called ‘authors’, it is truly refreshing to read something written by a master. Mailer spins this tale using the most professional tools to make his words biting, erudite and succinct all at the same time. He was truly a guru of his craft. I am currently at the halfway point and hope the story never ends. If you truly appreciate good literature, this is the novel to experience. It’s funny, interesting and serious . Does not disappoint. If you are looking for a quick superficial read, this is not your bag.

A very long and detailed mostly about the CIA during the Cuba crisis. The end isn't very satisfying but the book is well written.

This is another great Mailer novel - right up there with "The Naked and The Dead". I'm currently writing a book on America's Architecture of the Cold War - and after sending a chapter of this book to a friend - the friend recommended this Mailer read for my attention. Mailer obviously spent a good deal of time in research for this book - and then adds the Mailer touch - for an exciting 1100+ page thriller.

Norman Mailer is truly a genius. I am a writer and was curious about this book because it is famous for not being able to turned into a screenplay. Several writers had tried to do so and just couldn't capture essence of Harlot's Ghost. I now understand the reason for their failure. Mailer writes the characters in their shadowy duplicity Their work becomes who they are. He does this so very cleverly; I, at first, thought the writing awkward. It wasn't until I was well into the book that I realized the genius of his use of intrigue and duplicity. I had to go back and start the book, again, now understanding who the characters were. This book is a study, for any author, in character development. No one has ever done this before; as a mystery writer, I need to learn this technique. "The Good Shepherd" doesn't come near to what this book is about; LOVED IT!!!!!