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The Essential Gore Vidal
Vidal writes with ease and grace, and roams through many subjects and genres. He is a master of the historical novel, in which he has explored American history, ancient history, and the history of religion. He has developed his own style of science fiction combined with satire, and in the books he refers to as his 'inventions' he writes cautionary tales about sex, politics, art, and philosophy. He is at once a contrarion, a wise man, and a romantic. He is also wickedly funny, and often outrageous. This collection (the only single volume that includes Vidal's fiction and his essays) contains two complete works - MYRA BRECKINRIDGE, his most famous novel, and THE BEST MAN, a play about the American presidency. There are selections from THE CITY AND THE PILLAR, his early, controversial novel about homosexual love, and excerpts from later works as JULIAN, DULUTH, and LIVE FROM GOLGOTHA. Selections from the American history novels - BURR, LINCOLN, 1876, EMPIRE, and WASHINGTON, D.C. - have been woven together to provide a continuous narrative.
988 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
16 people are currently reading
1155 people want to read
About the author
Gore Vidal
422 books1,868 followersWorks of American writer Eugene Luther Gore Vidal, noted for his cynical humor and his numerous accounts of society in decline, include the play
The Best Man
(1960) and the novel
Myra Breckinridge
(1968) .
People know his essays, screenplays, and Broadway.
They also knew his patrician manner, transatlantic accent, and witty aphorisms. Vidal came from a distinguished political lineage; his grandfather was the senator Thomas Gore, and he later became a relation (through marriage) to Jacqueline Kennedy.
Vidal, a longtime political critic, ran twice for political office. He was a lifelong isolationist Democrat. The Nation, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The New York Review of Books, and Esquire published his essays.
Essays and media appearances long criticized foreign policy. In addition, he from the 1980s onwards characterized the United States as a decaying empire. Additionally, he was known for his well publicized spats with such figures as Norman Mailer, William F. Buckley, Jr., and Truman Capote.
They fell into distinct social and historical camps. Alongside his social, his best known historical include Julian, Burr, and Lincoln. His third novel, The City and the Pillar (1948), outraged conservative critics as the first major feature of unambiguous homosexuality.
At the time of his death he was the last of a generation of American writers who had served during World War II, including J.D. Salinger, Kurt Vonnegut, Norman Mailer and Joseph Heller. Perhaps best remembered for his caustic wit, he referred to himself as a "gentleman bitch" and has been described as the 20th century's answer to Oscar Wilde
Also used the pseudonym Edgar Box.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Gore Vidal é um dos nomes centrais na história da literatura americana pós-Segunda Guerra Mundial.
Nascido em 1925, em Nova Iorque, estudou na Academia de Phillips Exeter (Estado de New Hampshire). O seu primeiro romance, Williwaw (1946), era uma história da guerra claramente influenciada pelo estilo de Hemingway. Embora grande parte da sua obra tenha a ver com o século XX americano, Vidal debruçou-se várias vezes sobre épocas recuadas, como, por exemplo, em A Search for the King (1950), Juliano (1964) e Creation (1981).
Entre os seus temas de eleição está o mundo do cinema e, mais concretamente, os bastidores de Hollywood, que ele desmonta de forma satírica e implacável em títulos como Myra Breckinridge (1968), Myron (1975) e Duluth (1983).
Senhor de um estilo exuberante, multifacetado e sempre surpreendente, publicou, em 1995, a autobiografia Palimpsest: A Memoir. As obras 'O Instituto Smithsonian' e 'A Idade do Ouro' encontram-se traduzidas em português.
Neto do senador Thomas Gore, enteado do padrasto de Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, primo distante de Al Gore, Gore Vidal sempre se revelou um espelho crítico das grandezas e misérias dos EUA.
Faleceu a 31 de julho de 2012, aos 86 anos, na sua casa em Hollywood, vítima de pneumonia.
People know his essays, screenplays, and Broadway.
They also knew his patrician manner, transatlantic accent, and witty aphorisms. Vidal came from a distinguished political lineage; his grandfather was the senator Thomas Gore, and he later became a relation (through marriage) to Jacqueline Kennedy.
Vidal, a longtime political critic, ran twice for political office. He was a lifelong isolationist Democrat. The Nation, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The New York Review of Books, and Esquire published his essays.
Essays and media appearances long criticized foreign policy. In addition, he from the 1980s onwards characterized the United States as a decaying empire. Additionally, he was known for his well publicized spats with such figures as Norman Mailer, William F. Buckley, Jr., and Truman Capote.
They fell into distinct social and historical camps. Alongside his social, his best known historical include Julian, Burr, and Lincoln. His third novel, The City and the Pillar (1948), outraged conservative critics as the first major feature of unambiguous homosexuality.
At the time of his death he was the last of a generation of American writers who had served during World War II, including J.D. Salinger, Kurt Vonnegut, Norman Mailer and Joseph Heller. Perhaps best remembered for his caustic wit, he referred to himself as a "gentleman bitch" and has been described as the 20th century's answer to Oscar Wilde
Also used the pseudonym Edgar Box.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Gore Vidal é um dos nomes centrais na história da literatura americana pós-Segunda Guerra Mundial.
Nascido em 1925, em Nova Iorque, estudou na Academia de Phillips Exeter (Estado de New Hampshire). O seu primeiro romance, Williwaw (1946), era uma história da guerra claramente influenciada pelo estilo de Hemingway. Embora grande parte da sua obra tenha a ver com o século XX americano, Vidal debruçou-se várias vezes sobre épocas recuadas, como, por exemplo, em A Search for the King (1950), Juliano (1964) e Creation (1981).
Entre os seus temas de eleição está o mundo do cinema e, mais concretamente, os bastidores de Hollywood, que ele desmonta de forma satírica e implacável em títulos como Myra Breckinridge (1968), Myron (1975) e Duluth (1983).
Senhor de um estilo exuberante, multifacetado e sempre surpreendente, publicou, em 1995, a autobiografia Palimpsest: A Memoir. As obras 'O Instituto Smithsonian' e 'A Idade do Ouro' encontram-se traduzidas em português.
Neto do senador Thomas Gore, enteado do padrasto de Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, primo distante de Al Gore, Gore Vidal sempre se revelou um espelho crítico das grandezas e misérias dos EUA.
Faleceu a 31 de julho de 2012, aos 86 anos, na sua casa em Hollywood, vítima de pneumonia.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 29, 2015
This is a wonderful book! As expected in a collection of this sort, not everything was to my taste (i.e. Myra Breckinridge) but the variety of quality writing ensured there were lots I did love! It is divided into sections: Early Fiction, Theater Writings, Inventions, Religion, Chronicles of American History and Essays. From the outset I was impressed with the introduction by Fred Kaplan. He provided excellent context for the uninitiated without giving the game away.
I enjoyed each piece in the Early Fiction section. They were beautifully written and very engaging.
‘The Best Man’ in Theater Writings was my absolute favourite. This political play is timeless. Loved it!
The Inventions section was my least favourite. I found ‘Myra Breckinridge’ disturbing and gratuitously graphic. I understand why it was so controversial for its time and I was ultimately disappointed with the ending. ‘Duluth’ had an interesting premise, very relevant to our current preoccupation with TV and celebrity.
I enjoyed the Religion section. The excerpt from ‘Julian’ was written from an interesting perspective and a pleasure to read. ‘Creation’ was written in a very similar style as Plato’s dialogues. I loved the subject matter, the conversational style and the language. It was reminiscent of ‘Symposium’. ‘Live from Golgotha’ is based on a very unusual concept. Timothy is to rewrite the bible for a time travelling apostle. It is a mix of contemporary references and biblical times.
The Chronicles of American History section was a bit hard going at times. I didn’t think ‘Burr’ was the most interesting. There was lots of toing and froing, names and dates. It is probably better suited to those who love reading historical ‘fiction’. I did enjoy the ending of that chapter set in Amalfi. That was a good twist. ‘Lincoln’ is very cleverly written. It is fast paced and witty. It follows the inauguration of Lincoln, the Civil War and his assassination. Vidal doesn’t pull any punches regarding his political views. The final section of this chapter addresses Vidal’s/Hay’s obvious respect for Lincoln and his legacies, especially in comparison to Washington and his. ‘1876’ is beautifully written, entertaining and light. I loved the big twist at the end of this section! ‘Empire’ is an insider’s view of politics at a very specific point in time. I found there were too much conversation and far too many characters to follow. ‘Hollywood’ explores the connection between the media (Hearst) and politics (President. W. Wilson). It was okay. Not my favourite, but interesting. The final chapter in this section, ‘Washington, D.C.’ presents the back room dealings from the perspective of Senator Day, who has aspirations of being president. This was pretty good.
The final section, Essays, is excellent. It includes twenty five essays dealing with various issues, ideas, and a host of interesting protagonists. Each one was exquisitely written, insightful and engaging.
Before reading this collection I was a Vidal virgin. Now I feel I have a good grasp of the range and quality of his work. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone wanting to become acquainted with this remarkable writer.
I enjoyed each piece in the Early Fiction section. They were beautifully written and very engaging.
‘The Best Man’ in Theater Writings was my absolute favourite. This political play is timeless. Loved it!
The Inventions section was my least favourite. I found ‘Myra Breckinridge’ disturbing and gratuitously graphic. I understand why it was so controversial for its time and I was ultimately disappointed with the ending. ‘Duluth’ had an interesting premise, very relevant to our current preoccupation with TV and celebrity.
I enjoyed the Religion section. The excerpt from ‘Julian’ was written from an interesting perspective and a pleasure to read. ‘Creation’ was written in a very similar style as Plato’s dialogues. I loved the subject matter, the conversational style and the language. It was reminiscent of ‘Symposium’. ‘Live from Golgotha’ is based on a very unusual concept. Timothy is to rewrite the bible for a time travelling apostle. It is a mix of contemporary references and biblical times.
The Chronicles of American History section was a bit hard going at times. I didn’t think ‘Burr’ was the most interesting. There was lots of toing and froing, names and dates. It is probably better suited to those who love reading historical ‘fiction’. I did enjoy the ending of that chapter set in Amalfi. That was a good twist. ‘Lincoln’ is very cleverly written. It is fast paced and witty. It follows the inauguration of Lincoln, the Civil War and his assassination. Vidal doesn’t pull any punches regarding his political views. The final section of this chapter addresses Vidal’s/Hay’s obvious respect for Lincoln and his legacies, especially in comparison to Washington and his. ‘1876’ is beautifully written, entertaining and light. I loved the big twist at the end of this section! ‘Empire’ is an insider’s view of politics at a very specific point in time. I found there were too much conversation and far too many characters to follow. ‘Hollywood’ explores the connection between the media (Hearst) and politics (President. W. Wilson). It was okay. Not my favourite, but interesting. The final chapter in this section, ‘Washington, D.C.’ presents the back room dealings from the perspective of Senator Day, who has aspirations of being president. This was pretty good.
The final section, Essays, is excellent. It includes twenty five essays dealing with various issues, ideas, and a host of interesting protagonists. Each one was exquisitely written, insightful and engaging.
Before reading this collection I was a Vidal virgin. Now I feel I have a good grasp of the range and quality of his work. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone wanting to become acquainted with this remarkable writer.
Want to read
September 15, 2016I've recently watched the excellent documentary "Best of enemies", which basically revolves around the televised debates between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley, Jr as a part of ABC's coverage of the 1968 republican and democratic conventions. A fantastic documentary that made me even more intrigued to learn more about Vidal. He certainly was a character.
January 20, 2016
As an introduction to Gore Vidal I think this is a great place to start and allows you get a sense of the man's style, wordmanship and interests. The book contains some of his fiction, letters and articles and so after reading you should know better what else of his would interest you. I actually read a lot of his stuff before coming to this so there is some duplication but all the same there was new things to be found for sure.
July 26, 2013
If you haven't read Vidal, this is a good place to begin. Myra Breckenridge is here, in all her glory, as well as bits and pieces of nearly everything else.
Read
July 15, 2020Prescient for 7 decades and now that he is no longer with us, his words and wisdom seem to be everywhere. Re-visiting several of his essays, on police brutality, on the American Empire, he knew everyone and wrote about everything.
Gore Knew....
Gore Knew....
November 12, 2024
A great Vidal history/primer. The various book excerpts were really enjoyable.
November 23, 2019
Excerpts from Gore Vidal's historical novels. Two novels in full. A selection of essays. I did not read the entire book, I skimmed the novels and read all the essays. The taste of the novels urges one to read the books but the essays are the gems of this collection, I was barely finished reading them when I was on Amazon and Abebooks ordering other collections of his essays.
February 5, 2014
Vidal was a true light on American society. His departure means one less witty writer, moral thinker, and student of history.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews