Gore's rosebud

[Steven Maas (CUTR)]

On Fri, 28 Feb 1997, Joe Varo wrote:
> Well, I've also read only one work by Gore Vidal...Live From Golgotha.
> 
> I read it because it sounded to have an interesting idea behind it.  I was
> quite disappointed and haven't had the urge to try any other Vidal since
> then.

I guess I was in my late teens or early twenties when I read Gore's
trilogy of American historical novels (I believe the titles are _Burr_,
_Lincoln_, and _Empire_).  At the time the books (esp. _Burr_) appealed to
me, mostly due to the irreverent and iconoclastic attitude they took to
certain myths of US history.  Since then the two or three of his books
that I've attempted have failed to hold my interest sufficiently to finish
reading them.  I was particularly disappointed in his novel about Julian,
the Roman Emperor who attempted to return the Empire to Paganism. As Joe
says about _Live From Golgotha_ it seemed to have an interesting idea
behind it.  Unfortunately it turned out to be a bloated and turgid work
that seemed as if it could have been written by Jean Auel.

It's funny to see such an also-ran (as a novelist at least, I haven't read
his essays) belittling TRP--but it rankles when he claims that Pynchon is
of interest only to LitCrit types.  Excuse me Mr. Vidal, but others of us
value genius when we stumble upon it on our own.

	Steve Maas