Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the effort, 24 Sep 2002
Harlot's Ghost is a fictional inside view of working for the CIA during the 1950s and early 1960s, up to the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The story begins in the present day with the mysterious death of a senior CIA agent, Hugh Montague, "Harlot", now semi-retired, but a powerful figure during the period covered by the book. Was it murder or suicide? Or was the death faked? Our narrator is Herrick Hubbard, Harlot's godson, who has his own suspicions about the death, which are gradually revealed as he relates (in flashback) the story of his own career in as a junior CIA officer during the 1950s, and 1960s. Hubbard was destined for the CIA, as both his father and godfather are agents. Gradually Mailer builds up a picture of a successful young man, whose career will always to some extent be tainted by accusations of nepotism. Harlot is his sponsor and role model, who helps his godson to succeed in the CIA - but are his motives always as clear-cut as they seem?In a couple of places I found my attention wandering, usually when one of the many sub-plots failed to interest me. Most of them though, are fascinating insights into how the CIA works, and into that period of American history, with intrigue and conspiracy everywhere. Although the book is ostensibly about Hubbard's early career, the real story is about Harlot, and by the end of the book the reader thinks they know the truth - but unfortunately this is only the beginning - what is Hubbard planning to do now? If this book has a flaw, it is that the end of it comes before the main plot is concluded - despite the fact that it is a very long book! It is still a great book as a stand-alone novel, but it will become an even more worthwhile read if Mailer completes the sequel.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Try to CIA it my way, 17 Sep 2003
This is a huge and very satisfying book. It takes us through a career in the CIA, and is a gripping account of the paranoia and arrogance of that organisation. It takes us through cold war events and locations, such as Berlin and the Bay of Pigs fiasco. It also deals with the seedier side of the JFK world. It will not take a conspiracy theory expert to figure out where it is all heading. The book bursts with huge characters and excellent dialogue, and is littered with wonderful detail about the spying methods, dirty tricks and the control of information. The detail never becomes tedious, as it can in, say, Len Deighton. The Harlot of the title, incidentally, is a spy and spymaster who is driven and focused, and has enormous presence on the page. At over 1,000 pages, the book genuinely sustains an excellent pace. Take it on a long journey, or a holiday, and never look back. Magnificent.
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5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Monster book doesn't lift off..., 21 Nov 2003
Writing a novel of 1400 pages is a daunting task. The story msut be big enough and entertaiing enough to keep the reader's attention. In this case, the main subject - the CIA - is promising.The novel tells two stories; first present day (1983) a mysterious death leaves the narrator exposed to some danger. The second story tells how the narrator joined the CIA and how the CIA moved through the decennia. Many a sub-plot along the way and the main theme being the bi-polar tension (Ying/Yang, Alpha/Omega whatever). The second story hold the key to the first. Mailer mixes truth/fact with fiction in a daunting way. I never discovered the key though - left the story after 148 pages, bored by unnecessary subplot and the somewhat cliche scenes and characters. Too much useless action going about and the plots are a little too obvious. Main character is a bit of bore. Dare I say that Mailer's megolomania got the better of him? Nice try to project the Great American Novel on the story of the CIA. Nice enough too mix grand thoughts into it. But the story line doesn't hold. But then again, I could be just me....
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by Norman Mailer
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