Mailer, Norman

An American Dream [Signed] [Controversial Critique]

New York: The Dial Press, 1965. Dust Jacket Art by Paul Bacon. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover with Dust Jacket.

Signed with an inscription on the front free endpage and dated Jan ’87.

Blue cloth with silver gilt titles; 8vo; 8.25 inches; [1] 2-270 [1] pages. The bindings are tight and square as if unread. Text is clean; light, even age-toning. Minimal shelf handling wear. The dust jacket has the price of $4.95 and has a hint of spine tip wear with even age-toning.

An American Dream stands as a powerful critique of the American ideal of success and the destructive tendencies that can underlie the pursuit of power and autonomy. Through its complex protagonist and dark themes, Mailer offers a meditation on human nature, violence, and existential freedom, making it a significant work in the landscape of 20th-century American literature.

The novel's graphic violence and explicit sexual content generated controversy, and critics were divided on its merits. Some praised Mailer for his daring exploration of taboo subjects and his psychological insights, while others found the book self-indulgent or misogynistic. Despite the polarized reception, An American Dream cemented Mailer’s reputation as a provocateur and a major voice in American literature. [Adapted from Reviews]

Book to film: 1966 American Technicolor drama film directed by Robert Gist and starring Stuart Whitman and Janet Leigh.

Themes: Violence, Power, and Morality; Freudian and Existential Influences; Critique of the American Dream; the Cultural Context of the 1960s;

Item #19509

Price: $165.00