Harlot's Ghost

Norman Mailer

Mainly written as a flashback, Harlot's Ghost is about a boy becoming a man, while following his father's footsteps in the CIA. The boy, whose name I can't remember, has a mentor, known in the CIA's parlance as Harlot, who he eventually cuckolds. The boy witnesses and participates in many notable events of the time, including The Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missle Crisis and ends at Kennedy's assisination with the promise of to be continued. Grand in scope, fascinatingly well researched, this immensely enjoyable novel is not to be missed. Admittedly, Mailer could have used a more agressive editor. There appear to be two camps, those who like Mailer's verbosity and descriptive prose, and those who think he's long-winded and boring. I fear those in the second camp will make better use of this book as a doorstop.