Books, RIP

Gore Vidal was crazy but sometimes he was also awesome

I guess what I mean to say is RIP Gore Vidal. But I have a problem saying that, and my problem is that Gore Vidal believed a lot of stuff (particularly about the United States government) that was not true. Worse, he made those beliefs public. Worse, because he was Gore Vidal, he made it public on TV, in magazines, on the radio, etc.

Vidal had two styles as a novelist (at least that I am aware of).

The first was sort of an alternative history approach to historical fiction, which garnered him a lot of controversy for the usual reasons that some (most?) people don’t like their myths and assumptions being questioned.

The finest of his novels in this vein was Lincoln, which some have claimed as very fanciful and inaccurate approach to the US’ most beloved president. I dispute this criticism idea and I think that people who believe this either

  1. never read the book or
  2. read the book but know nothing about politics.

Vidal’s novel is a more realistic portrait of an actual human being than any fawning biography, even if Vidal guessed at some of Lincoln’s character traits. If anything, I admired Lincoln more after reading the novel.

Two other novels in this vein that are worth your time are Creation and Burr, about the “Ancient World” and Aaron Burr respectively.

Vidal’s other style was far more hit and miss. It is easiest to label it post-modern. Apparently its apex was Myra Breckinridge, a book I have yet to read.

The best of these that I actually read was Duluth, a book I can say I thoroughly enjoyed but didn’t really like, if you know what I mean. What I mean is: it was entertaining but I can’t say that I thought it added anything to the post-modern novel.

And I also read The Smithsonian Institution, which felt like a cash-grab self-parody of this style. It just sucks. He tries too hard.

As for his letters, well I never read much simply because every time I tried he entered into conspiracy theory territory. Like all former believers (apostates) I have more scorn for the spurned religion than someone who never believed. And as such I can barely read his prose so I can’t give an assessment. (Well I can: conspiracy theorists are wrong about the way the world works, therefore nearly everything that follows from their assumptions will likely be at least a little off).

So I’m torn: on the one hand it is sad to see an engaging and sometimes great novelist die. On the other hand, one less voice blabbing about secret intentions and secret meeting and the super villains who dominate us is a good thing.

RIP* Gore Vidal

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