Heinemann, London 1976. Hardback, 342 pages.

Ex-library-book.

The blurb:
”Dazzling ... told in the form of an almost Stendhalian memoir supposedly written by Burr ... always absorbing” was how The New Yorker described Gore Vidal's novel Burr while The Daily Telegraph pointed out that '... the significance of its content in relation to the extraordinary political events of the moment is undeniable. ”To make the past live is a lovely talk”, Mr. Vidal confesses. Agreed. But I am sure his greatest pleasure must have been in accomplishing as clever a debunking job on the eminent as did Lytton Strachey”.
In 1876 Gore Vidal does it again. The events of a century ago hold echoes of the present and, in the author's words ”The year 1876 was probably the low point in our republic's history and knowing something about what happened then is, I think, useful to us now as times are again becoming rather too interesting for comfort'.
After several decades in Europe the American journalist Charles Schermerhorn Schuyler, returns to the United States in 1876 for the centennial exhibition at Philadelphia and soon finds himself involved, both personally and as a writer, with the manoeuvres for the next Presidential nomination. Through his amused, sophisticated and cynical eyes the reader gets a ringside seat at Schuyler's interviews of President Grant the many men and women who rampage or slither, endlessly intriguing, around the centres of power, wealth and influence.
It is a delight to read, full of surprises, mischief and irony. This is a novel-as-history of great accomplishment and high entertainment.


Gore (Eugene Luther) Vidal at Pegasos — A literature related site in Finland

This was the very first time I've ever read anything by Gore Vidal but I sure hope it won't be the last. I love the narrative style in this book. I just wish I had more time to enjoy it. It is, of course, my own fault I didn't, I so want to release this book today because of taavina's and stinP's Numerohaaste (The Number Challenge). That's why I more or less scanned the last chapters. But I did love the book.
Here's a quote I want to remember:
. . . I have never found congenial the company of professional writers. Also I do not read novels any more whilst today's poetry makes me quite angry since, at best, it is no more than carefully ruined prose.
And another one:
With age one does grow, if not wise, forgiving, also, forgetting—also, forgotten.

Gore Vidal at Wikipedia
1876 at Wikipedia

Happy 2013!

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I found this book in the book-swap-cart at Main Library Metso today. I like Gore Vidal's books, and I'm looking forward to another nice reading experience with 1876.

Finished reading this today. Again I quite like its flow and immense wealth of historical detail... Plot-wise, of course, it's not a particularly memorable one. Makes me wish I knew more about the political context in which it was published in 1976!

Tarna, might you be interested in Julian by Gore Vidal?

Kirja jäi miitin jälkeen Nostalgian eteen kahvilapöydälle. Lukuiloa löytäjälle!