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48th out of 48 books
—
27 voters
A Ticket to the Circus: A Memoir
A great American love story, this warm, funny, revealing memoir introduces the world to Norman Mailer’s greatest inspiration, his wife of more than thirty years. Like Zelda Fitzgerald before her, Norris Church Mailer has led a life as large and as colorful as her husband’s—and every bit as engaging.
Growing up a strict Free Will Baptist in the South of the 1950s, Norris Chu...more
Growing up a strict Free Will Baptist in the South of the 1950s, Norris Chu...more
Hardcover, 432 pages
Published
April 6th 2010
by Random House
(first published 2010)
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In 1974, the stunning Barbara Norris, then 26, met the controversial 52-year-old leonine man of letters. A divorcee with a young son, she was teaching art in a small Arkansas town. She had studied writing with Norman Mailer's World War II buddy, Francis Gwaltny, and she had had her brush with fame dating the state's governor, Bill Clinton.
It seems nearly everyone thought she was out of her depth when she encouraged Mailer's attentions. For his part, Mailer found her beauty breathtaking and encou...more
It seems nearly everyone thought she was out of her depth when she encouraged Mailer's attentions. For his part, Mailer found her beauty breathtaking and encou...more
This is a memoir by the last of the many wives of Norman Mailer. It was interesting and fun for a light read. What's really amazing about this book is that it's not a "tell-all", though it clearly could have been. She saw his many flaws, but she also saw his greatness and she loved him, though he cheated on her (well, duh.)
They had such an interesting life and she describes their adventures, including a trip to Cuba and a day spent with Castro, as well as parties with Jackie Kennedy and all of...more
They had such an interesting life and she describes their adventures, including a trip to Cuba and a day spent with Castro, as well as parties with Jackie Kennedy and all of...more
Fascinating memoir from Norman Mailer's sixth (and longest-running) wife. This is a woman destined to sleep with greatness, I think, given as a small town Arkansas teacher she had sex with both Norman Mailer and Bill Clinton. I love how, many decades later, after the Lewinsky scandal broke some guy says to Norris, guess you're the only person in Arkansas he never slept with and she has to admit, "I’m afraid he got us all." In any case, I enjoyed her writing style and the ups and downs involved w...more
You have to give the lady credit. When Stormin Norman, her sometimes intimidating great American novelist husband, tried to edit her writing, she wouldn't let him. "We were too different."
And yet, her love for him is still believable and authentic, bound at the core by a great sex life, she never hesitates to tell us. Mailer's voice is questing. Norris Church's is old fashioned, full of the kind of common sense the Arkansas daughter of a heavy machinery instructor would have. We meet all kind...more
And yet, her love for him is still believable and authentic, bound at the core by a great sex life, she never hesitates to tell us. Mailer's voice is questing. Norris Church's is old fashioned, full of the kind of common sense the Arkansas daughter of a heavy machinery instructor would have. We meet all kind...more
I have been on a huge memoir kick this year. I saw an article about Norris Church (and this book) in the NYT magazine and was shocked by a few stories she shared about her husband, the late Norman Mailer. It was classic "Wrong Guy" behavior. What was more fascinating to me was how sweet and likable Norris was. Who was this person who was able to draw 7 step-children together from 5 different mothers and create a family?
I really enjoyed this book. Although I would not want anyone I cared about to...more
I really enjoyed this book. Although I would not want anyone I cared about to...more
This candid, entertaining memoir proves that Norman Mailer wasn't the only talented writer in the family. Norris unveils her life story with warmth, wit, and grit, despite some occasionally precious prose. While a few critics were disturbed by Norris's stated willingness to stifle her individuality and ambitions to please her temperamental husband, her frankness in sharing many of the grim and often humiliating particulars won them over, and she provides plenty of juicy details about Norman and...more
Autogiography has to be the most difficult genre to write. Too easily, writers abuse the first person singular, and "Then I did," or a variation on same can start every sentence. Ticket to the Circus suffers from this problem. It's an interesting story, but there is *WAY TOO MUCH* of the first personal pronoun. The author's husband, Norman Mailer, pronounced the book *not as bad as I thought it would be."* The words of a very loving husband. A tougher critic would have been more harsh. There's a...more
I liked this book overall. It is well written and made interesting simply by the telling of this woman's tale - even had she not married Norman Mailer. I have two major criticisms: Doris Kearns Goodwin wrote a blurb for the front and back covers and I honestly thought, if she is giving this book such a glowing review that says quite a bit and it is worth the read. Then 200 pages into it I find out that she is one of the author's best friends!! In my mind that completely discounts anything she mi...more
The story was not at all what I was expecting, based on the title. However, having reached the end of the book, it's an apt title.
I was propelled through the story to the end, always curious as to what would happen, a little amazed/shocked/doubtful about attitudes toward sexual relationships and love. Norris often states how there were things she really despised about her husband, but there were more things she loved. She had a lot of stamina and personal strength to keep going throughout her li...more
I was propelled through the story to the end, always curious as to what would happen, a little amazed/shocked/doubtful about attitudes toward sexual relationships and love. Norris often states how there were things she really despised about her husband, but there were more things she loved. She had a lot of stamina and personal strength to keep going throughout her li...more
Memoirs that encompass an entire life can run the risk of rambling on and on, sprawling well beyond the meat of the story, the bits and pieces in which we as readers are truly interested. Not so with the late Norris Church Mailer’s A Ticket to the Circus, an entire life’s story nestled between two covers – yes, indeed – but one that comes with nothing extraneous, nothing unnecessary, and certainly nothing boring. Instead, Norris’s story completely engrosses. And given the events of her life, how...more
I might be in the minority here, but I couldn't even finish this book. Reading the chapters where she first gets together with Mailer is like when one of your friends is dating a douche and you can't get her to stop - I wanted to scream at Norris "no, no, run the other way!" I have to admit that if I thought of Norris as a friend I wanted to help, there must have been some aspect of this book that was appealing, but that didn't make up for its shortcomings. Also, I found the tone of the book obn...more
I sort of hate the Mailers as people. I don't agree with their lifestyle choices nor general attitude towards life, however, putting my personal feelings aside, it sure was interesting. I think most people actually live pretty interesting lives if you break it down by chronological anecdotes. It does sort of make me want to read Mailer's work--in all honesty, I never have. But based on what his 6th and final wife wrote about him, he must have a tremendous imagination. The personal photographs sp...more
I never write reviews, but I feel compelled to write one for this. This book has gotten rave reviews and I cannot figure out why. Norris Mailer comes across as selfish, deluited and as a doormat to her husband of more than 30 years. The man fucked everything that moved and she just put up with it. And claims theirs was a great love affair. She put her wants and desires before her kids and chose a father who wasn't a very good role model. Of course it's not my business. I don't know her and certa...more
Great memoir..but I learned that Norman, although beloved as a writer, was stricken with a great propensity to whore around....Norris Church Mail introduced herself as "the last wife," she was the sixth wife of Norman's and who did little cheating of her own.
And yes, it was romantic in a old fashioned way, their first meeting and their long term epistolary relationship. That draws you in and started to think about how this woman made Norman a little more loveable.
It truly was a good read....and...more
And yes, it was romantic in a old fashioned way, their first meeting and their long term epistolary relationship. That draws you in and started to think about how this woman made Norman a little more loveable.
It truly was a good read....and...more
An completely entertaining memoir of Norris Church Mailer, 7th wife of the brilliant but difficult Norman Mailer. They met when he was 52 and she- an artist from Arkansas- was 26. Their affair began when he was married to his 5th wife, and still carrying on with his eventual 6th wife of 3 days (Read to find out). With multiple children from multiple women, the literary/art scene in New York and worldwide, and a cast of characters too quirky to make up, she takes us through the 33 years they were...more
Kind of ridiculous at times; she talks about minute details of her life that I can't imagine anyone would really have any desire to know. But maybe that was just me. She also seems to give Norman Mailer *WAY TOO MUCH* slack for his perpetual infidelities and overall asshole-ness. He comes across as a coddled child, but she's okay with that apparently, because that's "just him." Gross.
An interesting read, though, overall. Her writing style is incredibly conversational (lots of asides in parenthes...more
An interesting read, though, overall. Her writing style is incredibly conversational (lots of asides in parenthes...more
I read about this book in the April edition of Oprah magazine. All I needed to see was "Ticket is at once a glimpse into New York's social and LITERARY whirl...." and I knew I had to read it.
I finally read this book! Again wishing that Goodreads had a half star rating, because I would give it a 3 1/2 star. Anyway, I think it takes a lot of guts to write a memoir. You end up baring your soul and wonder, first of all, will anyone want to buy it? And if yes, what will they think of me? And IMO, the...more
I finally read this book! Again wishing that Goodreads had a half star rating, because I would give it a 3 1/2 star. Anyway, I think it takes a lot of guts to write a memoir. You end up baring your soul and wonder, first of all, will anyone want to buy it? And if yes, what will they think of me? And IMO, the...more
I've never actually read anything by Norman Mailer and always just thought of him as a bombastic and chauvinistic relic of an earlier time. This memoir of his last wife, Norris Church Mailer, is more about her than him but there is a lot of insight into what made Norman tick. He may not have been a great husband but he did love his kids and they returned the affection. She was a strong woman in her own right and I enjoyed reading about the inner workings of a long term marriage.
Memoir by the late Norris Church Mailer, widow of literary icon, Norman Mailer. It's a love story between two extraordinary individuals--their passion for each other and the rocks in their road along the way. Talented and stunningly beautiful, Norris Church Mailer shares a view inside their interesting and often glittering lives, while never completely losing the funny, down-to-earth Arkansas girl she had been.
Norris Church Mailer had an exciting life, full of adultery, celebrities, traveling, and overcoming many obstacles. Unfortanately she talks about it with an arrogance and objectiveness that takes the fun out of her stories. She also goes into a lot of detail about how attracted and passionate she was about her late husband, who was old, chubby, short, and harry, which is kind of gross, to be honest.
This is an unexpectedly good memoir, written by Norman Mailer's widow (the last of his six wives). In the introduction, she writes "...I bought a ticket to the circus. I don't know why I was surprised to see elephants" and that is a concise summary of the book.
Mailer was indeed an elephant among mice in the literary world and this work is a loving, but unblinkingly candid, portrait of him.
Mailer was indeed an elephant among mice in the literary world and this work is a loving, but unblinkingly candid, portrait of him.
A long, detailed,and humorous memoir of life with well-known author Norman Mailer written by his 6th wife, Norris. Their 30 year marriage contained some crazy drama, and yet they loved their families and the many children between them, most of whom went on to creative careers. I most enjoyed reading about the famous people they hung out with. Norris, for example, worked on Bill Clinton's campaign for governor in Arkansas. There are interesting reflections on his powerful personality and their re...more
A fascinating tale of the author's life with Norman Mailer. As one would expect of such a prolific and talented personage as Norman Mailer, he lives a very eventful life at breakneck speed. The stories related by his wife make for great reading, but things rather come tumbling down once Norman confesses his innumerable affairs and as the health of the couple rapidly deteriorates.
This is our January 2011 book club selection which we will be discussing this evening. I enjoyed reading about the life of Norris Church Mailer, especially her life prior to becoming Mrs. Norman Mailer. She led a very interesting life and met and became friends with some amazing people throughout her life. I thought the way in which she wrote was exceptionally done. She accomplished so much! What a talented and beautiful person.
I had hoped for some insight into the life of Norman Mailer, as told by his last wife. Unfortunately, nothing really new about his life was revealed. The final pages of the book were filled with graphic tragedy as the author detailed Mailer's many extra-marital affairs, her health issues, and Mailer's own death. Very depressing!
A memoir read on my Nook for a library discussion group. Norris Church Mailer is the 6th and last wife of Norman Mailer. She is much younger, grew up in Arkansas. Norman Mailer had many children and ex-wives and Norris seemed to get along with almost all of them. In our group, we all really liked this book.
May 14, 2010
Angela
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
married people, novelists, writers, people interested in literature and history and memoirs
Honest, gripping memoir from the last wife of Norman Mailer who, by herself, is an amazingly talented artist, actress, and writer.
Theirs is not the all-American love story, but it is an accurate portrayal of two people struggling to reconcile their differences, forgive betrayals, and embrace each other "for better or for worse."
The humanity in this book is worth reading. Norris has a gift of the artist's eye for the perfect image. Her style is very different than Mailer's, but it is engaging and...more
Theirs is not the all-American love story, but it is an accurate portrayal of two people struggling to reconcile their differences, forgive betrayals, and embrace each other "for better or for worse."
The humanity in this book is worth reading. Norris has a gift of the artist's eye for the perfect image. Her style is very different than Mailer's, but it is engaging and...more
This one was a bit difficult to get through at times, Norman mailer is a wonderful writer, but picturing him having sex isn't really what I enjoy in a book! still the story was told very candidly, with humor and without apology. I did enjoy it.....even with all of the old man sex.....=)
Norman Mailer was married six times and this book is written by his sixth and final wife Norris Church Mailer. I wasn't sure if I'd like this book (considering he's the author, not her). But I was pleasantly surprised, the book was well written.
I thought this was a VERY entertaining and touching memoir written in an honest and frank voice.
Because of Norman's relentless cheating, some people did not like this book because they couldn't comprehend why Norris stayed with Norman -- but I disagree....more
I thought this was a VERY entertaining and touching memoir written in an honest and frank voice.
Because of Norman's relentless cheating, some people did not like this book because they couldn't comprehend why Norris stayed with Norman -- but I disagree....more
Sadly I did not find out she had passed away until a couple of months after the fact, we admired each other's jewelry-we were both jewelry maker's, I promised to send her one of my necklaces that she'd admired, never got the chance :< She was a real lady...
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Best known as the last spouse (and then widow) of writer Norman Mailer.
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Jun 24, 2010 09:53am