The Big Empty: Dialogues on Politics, Sex, God, Boxing, Morality, Myth, Poker & Bad Conscience in America

by Norman Mailer, John Buffalo Mailer

Questions are posed, writes Norman Mailer, "in the hope they will open into richer insights, which in turn will bring forth sharper questions." In this series of conversations, John Buffalo Mailer, 27, poses a series of questions to his father, challenging the reflections and insights of the man who has dominated and defined much of American letters for the past sixty years. Their wide-ranging discussions take place over the course of a year, beginning in July 2004. Set against the backdrop of George W. Bush's re-election campaign and the war in Iraq, each considers what it means to live in America today. John asks his father to look back to World War II, and explore the parallels that can—and cannot—be drawn between that time and our current post-9/11 consciousness. As their conversations develop, the topics shift from the political to the personal to the political again, as they duck and weave around one another. They explore their shared admiration of boxing and poker, the nature of marriage and love, television, movies, writing, and what it means to be a part of this extraordinary family.

Genres: Nonfiction

218 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2006

About the author

Norman Kingsley Mailer was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, poet, playwright, screenwriter, and film director.

Along with Truman Capote, Joan Didion, and Tom Wolfe, Mailer is considered an innovator of creative nonfiction, a genre sometimes called New Journalism, but which covers the essay to the nonfiction novel. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize twice and the National Book Award once. In 1955, Mailer, together with Ed Fancher and Dan Wolf, first published The Village Voice, which began as an arts- and politics-oriented weekly newspaper initially distributed in Greenwich Village. In 2005, he won the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters from The National Book Foundation.

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am making it my mission to read all Mailer books and so got my hands on this one, which I didn't know much about. I would say overall, it is fine, and compared to some of the other weaker books of Mailer's career that is pretty good. It is also very easy to read and I got through it very quickly.

It takes the form of a series of interviews with Norman Mailer by his son, who is also a writer and is fifty years his junior (Mailer is 83 when this book was written)! Anyway, John Buffalo runs through a series of topics with his Dad- from politics, to God, to boxing, to poker etc. - to varying levels of interest. If, like me, you have read a lot of Mailer there isn't really that much new in here but it is still interesting to hear him go over his views on all sorts of things and I like the way he makes his arguments. Perhaps not surprisingly, Mailer's son doesn't really push his Dad too hard on any of his comments (which are sometimes really interesting and sometimes completely bonkers) and there is a bit too much of John setting out his opinions which I don't think anyone really cares about. The father/son dynamic is also rather sweet.

Nevertheless there are glimpses of Mailer's brilliance and wit alongside the usual arrogance and sometimes embarrassing statements - when he talks shrewdly about how political campaigns work, his philosophical theories around boxing, what he thinks the purpose of novels are etc. - that show there was still that argumentative, rabble-rousing raconteur in there right up until his death.

[Umar Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these, such as the chapter on poker, I didn't find interesting. Other chapters were great and I really enjoyed the father and son banter. I miss this kind of dialog- not afraid to be profane, offend, and pick at taboos. Of course when you have as high of an opinion of yourself as the great Norman Mailer did, and shoot from the hip, you're also gonna have some pretty big misses.

[João Miguel · Rating 3 out of 5]

preguiça de toda primeira parte do livro

[Neil H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book from Norman Mailer and in this his views on various ideas are given a voice. Most is entertaining and somewhat illuminating. The analogies that he shares about boxing as a primal and yet possible constructive social help is simpler in its execution. His views that individuals efforts in understanding morality and philosophy lite can be made sense of in classic novels was interesting (I'm not a book fiction person). Yes, his sharings provide interesting read and I am looking forward to starting on his non fiction books.

[Ted Burke · Rating 1 out of 5]

Norman Mailer was one of the best interview subjects of the second half of the 20th century, an imaginative , provocative, often brilliant mind who could start lengthy debates with his proposistions no matter how absurd they seemed. People get old, though, their energies, physically and intellectually, flag or harden into crusty things no longer alluring to the mind and eye, andNorman Mailer was no exception. The ideas he pus forth here in his chats with son John Buffalo Mailer are piecemeal run throughs of territory he has considered before; suffice to say that he wrote and spoke about them in many ther publications with the genius we assume with Mailer's name. Here he sounds like a man who is aware he is running out of time--indeed he was--but to be fair we need to remember that he was saving his energy to finish his final novel, The Castle in the Forest, a masterpiece of Mailer wierdness. Those interested in Mailer's opinions on the subjects covered in this book are advised to seek out his collections of miscellaneous magazine and journal pieces , like Advertisements for Myself, Presidential Papers, Pieces and Pontifications, Existential Errands. There you can read this American Master opine at will in the full flower of his brilliant prose stylings.

[Kent Winward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was wishing I could hear Mailer on 2016.

One comment from my notes when I was reading this:
"You are so young that you still believe in the power of individuals. The hard fact which I would like to see you develop in you my friend over the next ten years is a deeper sense of social structure. Because society is paramount. It is as if we are little animals running through the machine. Occasionally we touch a switch. Something starts. We start another little machine, but we can't really alter the nature of the machine that much. Not without great study and long term devotion, plus willingness to get into the grease of the gears."

[Kristy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was trying to get a better sense of writing guru Norman Mailer... but this book of previously published Q & A-style interviews between Mailer and his 25-year old son was a little dissapointing. Maybe it's because a lot of the political analysis is a few years old... and maybe it's because I'm not sure Mailers son is more qualified than I am to assert his opinions about the state of the world. Oh well, the library got in the Mailer book I was waiting for, so hopefully I'll like that one better.

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a repetition of most of the Mailer interviews we can find on the internet. It's not really bad though there's nothing new to it. (Mailer's positions on war, America, Iraq ...)
I would have found a better interest if John Buffalo had intervened more often and if he had confronted his father more. He merely asks questions as if he did not dare to share his positions. Overall, it is a decent book but I still feel like something is missing. Perhaps other subjects should have been addressed.

[Matt Sadorf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting and entertaining book. It consists of discussions between a father and his son, covering many different topics.

I really enjoyed getting to read what Norman had to say about various topics just a few short years before his passing. John Buffalo Mailer leads the discussion at times, and puts his two cents in as well, which is great for showing the difference in generations.

This is one of those books that you might have to be in the mood for, if you choose to read it, but if you're looking for this type of book, it is great!

[Chris Salisbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly a great book simply because it's an interview between John Buffalo Mailer, Norman Mailer's youngest kid, and Norman Mailer. Apperently it is mostly comprised of a series John did for Playboy with some other dialogues thrown in. There is some interesting takes on life, politics and boxing.

[Matthew Matheson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read more of Norman Mailer's books.

Also read: (paste on other books)
Dos Capital-1949
Mailer on Nixon

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of casual father-son conversations that will probably appeal to fans only.

[Bernadette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really thought provoking!