On God

In a long, drawn-out illustration of why a person might reject biblical affirmations of the divine and fashion a god to suit him- or herself instead, Norman Mailer reveals the mindset of many by deferring to pop theology to formulate his misconception of God. ON GOD is the re-creation of a conversation between the celebrated author and Michael Lennon, one of the founders of the Norman Mailer Society. The re-creation of the interview is stilted as the production quality of Bateman's and Hillgartner's voices is different enough to suggest that they were recorded at different times. Further, the readers' delivery gives the sense of scripts being read out loud instead of an actual interview being conducted. S.M.M. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

June 15, 2008
Famed novelist and playwright Mailer here embarks on a journey into all aspects of God and religion with Lennon, president of the Norman Mailer Society. Written shortly before Mailer's death in 2007 and done in a Q&A format, the narrative focuses on an eclectic variety of subjects that revolve around Mailer's assertion that God is an artist. Mailer believed in the existence of God but argued that he (or she) is like an artist because God is not perfect. He created the dinosaurs and then realized that they were too large to survive, so they had to become extinct. The authors leave no stones unturned, covering reincarnation, the state of world religions, fundamentalism, the Holocaust, poverty, intelligent design, and prayer. Their conversations make reference to numerous disciplines, including literature, art, philosophy, and theology. As with his life and all his writings, Mailer took no prisoners with this work. He was unapologetic in his criticism of all of the major religions for stifling creative thought in both their leaders and their followers. This audiobook is not leisurely material for the car or the beach; it is scholarly and a tough go at times. However, readers Kent Bateman (Mailer) and Malcolm Hillgartner (Lennon) do an admirable job of trying to keep the listener engaged in the often dense and meandering thoughts of this brilliant and controversial writer. Recommended for large academic libraries.Emma Duncan, Brampton Lib., Ont.

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