I agree with Stark re “The Executioner’s Song.” It’s a splendid novel (or whatever the hell it is). That was my first encounter with Mailer’s work, and I have been sorely disappointed in everything else I’ve tried. So what if he was an egomaniac? Who cares if he was (gasp) a misogynist and an all-around jerk? He wrote at least one great book, and that should be enough for any critic. If we were to write off every artist who was guilty of bad behavior, we’d be left with nothing.