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Underground > Books, Criticism & Writing >

Gore Vidal

15:01 / 02.05.08

Lisa Simpson: These are my only friends. Grown-up nerds like Gore Vidal, and even he's kissed more boys than I ever will!

Marge Simpson: Girls, Lisa! Boys kiss girls!

-- The Simpsons, "Summer of 4 Ft. 2," May 1996

I recently finished my first-ever Gore Vidal novel, 1961's
"Julian," about one of my favorite emperors, Julian the so-called "Apostate," who reigned from 361-363 and who's most remembered (then and now) for attempting to crush Christianity and bring back "paganism."

The novel was fantastic. I'm sure a lot of this has to do with my own interest in the era and the character, but Vidal's writing was witty, full of life, and moving. Normally I stray from "historical epics" from the forties through the sixties, as they're usually christian fiction in costume. Or, just as damnably, they're nothing but pulp fiction about idealized warriors or soldiers, filled with purple prose. "Julian" is in a whole 'nother world, and it's one of the more enjoyable novels I've recently read.

I intend to read more Vidal. "Creation" tops the list, but I see a few years back an "expanded" edition was released. I've yet to find any details on what exactly was added to the book. Used copies of the once-ubiquitous mass market paperback can be found for cheap, but if the added material in the new edition is good, then I'll just spring for that one.

"Kali" also sounds interesting. Anyone have any Vidal recommendations?

07:36 / 03.05.08

I've read a couple of his books, but I couldn't tell you their names. A great essayist, I think, but as a novelist, isn't he a bit like an artier Wilbur Smith, or an even camper Norman Mailer?

02:51 / 04.05.08

That may be true about his essays or his other works, but "Julian" was so far beyond anything by Mailer I've read. "Julian" was fantastic. I'm sure I'll read it again someday.

This afternoon I was at a used bookstore and picked up the aforementioned "Creation" mass market paperback in the Clearance section for $1. I'm looking forward to reading it once I've worked through the other novels I've recently bought.

--

19:32 / 05.05.08

I've only read one of his books, which was his first novel, "The City and the Pillar." In fact, it was the first book I read this year. Very ahead of it's time in it's depiction of homosexuality (I think it was published back in the 40's). Not sure if I plan on reading any of his other books in the near future but he seems like an interesting guy.

10:57 / 09.05.08

Julian is the only one I've read and now I come to think of it I don't know why I haven't read more. I'd agree with most of what you said actually, I thought it was great and I certainly wouldn't have compared it to Wilbur Smith (not that I don't have some time for WS, it's just I cannot see the comparison at all). For me the most immediately obviously similar book is I Claudius (and a similar series of historical novels I read about Augustus and Tiberius - can't remember who wrote them) but I remember Julian as very much about one person's attempt to not just record but also influence history and to change the way people view certain events.
It was a while ago I read it and then I kind of forgot about Vidal for some reason but I'd be very keen to know what you make of the other one you bought.

Aha! I am Klarion

18:57 / 12.05.08

We should all play "Who's the crypto-fascist in the room?" It is just like guess-who, but snarkier.

17:05 / 13.05.08

My wife read CREATION as a teen and it impressed her massively. I've always mean to check it out. I did read KALKI but retain nothing about the experience!

I saw him speak several years ago at UCLA right around the time of the invasion of Iraq, IIRC. He sounded like an august Roman senator/orator and kept popping out with these KILLER quotes from the USA's Founding Fathers. My fave was Jefferson (I think) foreseeing corporate influence on government as alarming and terminal. Of course, they has a different term for "corporate."

19:45 / 13.05.08

I read The Smithsonian Institution some years ago, and again just recently. And while I couldn't really tell you what it was about - well, I could tell you what happens, but in terms of underlying content it jumps around all over the place - I still think it's a fantastic read. You need to have a decent knowledge of United States' political history to get the most from it, I'd imagine, but even without that it's great.

So I picked up some more. Vidal's one of those writers whose novels have an effortless flow to them. Just finished Burr - chronologically the first in his more serious American history series - and Kalki. Burr, I loved. Again, it maybe doesn't talk to me as much as it would somebody with a more thorough knowledge of the founding years of the USA - quite honestly, I don't think I'd even heard of Aaron Burr before reading the novel - but it was still top-notch entertainment.

Kalki kind of floored me, right at the end. Starts off as a funny novel about the world going loopy over a messiah figure, rips your balls off about four fifths in.

01:19 / 18.05.08

`live from golgotha` was funny and irreverant,`kali` the same ,, he likes slagging off religion,,,then again who dosn`t,,i`ve read a few others, all entertaining, all a little risque,,,a linear progression from oscar wilde?,,maybe? maybe not? i think wilde would have enjoyed vidal`s company,,,