The Naked and the Dead Paperback - 1981

Acclaimed as a successful expression of the futility of war, Norman Mailer's The Naked and the Dead follows the story of an army platoon of foot soldiers fighting for the possession of the Japanese-held island of Anopopei during World War II. The novel, which embodies wartime disillusionment, is partly based on Mailer’s own experiences with the 112th Cavalry in the Pacific. Through its four parts, The Naked and the Dead addresses themes of loneliness, death of fear and dying, and brotherhood. The novel is written in gritty, journalistic detail. However, this tone was dialed back as publishers persuaded Mailer to use to euphemism “fug” in lieu of the mother of all curse words — the “F” word — in his novel.

The Naked and the Dead sold 200,000 copies in its first three months and was a New York Times best seller for over a year. Despite some controversy among critics, the novel remains important in American literature. The Naked and the Dead is ranked 51st on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century. The novel was later adapted into a film of the same name in 1958.

Details

• Title The Naked and the Dead
• Author Norman Mailer
• Binding Paperback
• Edition 1st Owl book ed
• Pages 721
• Volumes 1
• Language ENG
• Publisher Holt McDougal
• Date 1981-01
• ISBN 9780030590436 / 0030590434
• Library of Congress subjects War stories, World War, 1939-1945 - Fiction
• Library of Congress Catalog Number 80025751
• Dewey Decimal Code FIC