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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Extensive combat violence throughout; the Pacific campaign is depicted with brutal authenticity
Language
A lot
Strong language throughout in the WWII soldier tradition
Sexual Content
Some
Adult sexual references in the soldiers' conversations and fantasies
Substance Use
Some
Significant drinking in the wartime context
Emotional Intensity
Some
Themes of the psychology of combat, class, and what war reveals about American society
What this book is about
Norman Mailer's debut novel is a landmark of American war fiction. Violence is extensive and graphically depicted across the Pacific campaign. Strong language throughout. The novel's treatment of race and gender reflects its 1948 origins. Adult literary fiction.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Combat violence
Strong language
WWII adult themes
1948 period attitudes
Reader Verification
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