Il fantasma di Harlot

The blending of fact and fiction creates a layered story, but I wonder what inspired the author to take this approach and how much research went into it.

The characters feel so layered and morally ambiguous, which made me think about how espionage stories often blur the lines between good and evil.

There were parts where I felt the narrative drifted into detailed background, but I wonder if Mailer aimed to build a certain atmosphere or tension.