Rating: 
Summary: Yawn...Vidal Uses A Whole Lotta Pages to Say Little
Review: Even though this portrait of Lincoln was somewhat irreverent and definitely more detailed than our grade school textbooks, it still failed to portray him as a flesh and blood man.
Rating: 
Summary: Wicked, Scathing, Brilliant
Review: First, judging by some reviews here I have read, I want to say this....... Lincoln is historical fiction. NOT FACT. That having been said, this is one of the best works of historical fiction out there. A funny, wise, biting, dark and loving look at the greatest man to ever occupy the White House. An age before the political parties had basically flipped their roles, Lincoln is an almost unbelievably huge figure, defying his physical limitations and shattering the political ones heaped upon him. Mr. Vidal is a writers dream and a reader's treasure. The greatest truth here, as well as the biggest gift this book bestows upon us is the humanity painted on the stone faced figure we've always been told about in school. This book is an amazing accomplishment and an invaluable contribution to framing a clear picture of this titan of our past. Don't miss this book.
Rating:
Summary: A lively portait of one of our greatest leaders
Review: For those of us who grew up on legends of Lincoln the rail-splitter, Gore Vidal's historical novel presents the reader with a man who was more complex than any folklore. The novel traces Lincoln's life from the beginnings of his presidency to his tragic end. Vidal certainly did his homework, drawing upon letters, diaries, and newspapers of the time. He portrays an Abraham Lincoln who was intelligent and sagacious in his dealings with the world, and meloncholy in his response to the world. Vidal excels in bringing his characters to life, and the novel is rich in dialogue and intrigue. Modern followers of today's political scene will no doubt recognize and appreciate the position Lincoln was in, surrounded by a cabinet of pretenders to the throne. Having to constantly deal with others whose ambitions of the Presidency must have severly tested the sagacity of the Chief Magistrate, considering the fact that he was responsible for seeing the country through the Civil War. Lincoln chose to keep his enemies closer, so that he might better keep a watch over them. How many of our modern presidents had that kind of political courage? Although Vidal chooses to strip away the folklore, he has replaced the legend with an accurate portrait of a much greater man.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest Presidential Novel
Review: Forget BURR. This is Vidal's best novel. And I would make the case that it is the best Lincoln ¡°biography.¡± The novel starts as Lincoln arrives like a thief into a hostile Washington rife with secessionist sentiment. It ends five years later with Lincoln's assassination by the nutcase actor John Wilkes Booth. We get Lincoln's battles with his Generals who don't want to fight and the radical Republicans in congress who think he is not fighting hard enough. But the novel is not just about Lincoln's presidency and the bloody war which engulfed it. Though some 650 pages, LINCOLN is a work of extraordinary economy. Vidal manages to work in a mini-encyclopedia through anecdotes and gossip by walk-ons like Lincoln's former law partner Herndon, who tells us that Honest Abe wasn¡¯t always so honest and also came down with syphilis a young man. Gore's remarkable portrait of Lincoln tears down myths, yet constructs a monument to the man in their place. The 'Great Emancipator' is portrayed as very soft on slavery and in favor of not only of compensating slaveowners but of shipping blacks off to colonize Central America. Lincoln comes off as a racist buffoon in a meeting with leaders of the North's black community. Yet Lincoln emerges as unquestionably America's greatest president, someone who nearly single-handedly saved the union out of sheer force of will. Lincoln's disaster of a marriage to the borderline schizophrenic Mary Todd is portrayed with a degree of tenderness, Lincoln coming off more as a suffering parent to his wife rather than a sparring partner. The narrative of the novel maintains a slight distance to Lincoln, while at times veering much closer to supporting characters, such as Lincoln's secretary Hay, Mrs. Lincoln and even the detestable Salmon Chase. I think Vidal did this because he wanted to leave readers with a feeling that they knew Lincoln on a personal level rather than as a subject. For that, I was most grateful.
Rating:
Summary: the best of his series on America
Review: Gore Vidal is known as a great cynic, with an acid tongue and combativeness that create such delicious ironies in his novels and essays. But in this novel, I believe that he sincerely admired Lincoln, which raised his writing to an eloquence that few of his other novels attained. In addition to his cabinet and entourage, Lincoln really comes alive in this one, as a political genius who used machiavellian means to attain his goal of keeping the US unified. THere is much humor and wonderful stories of the manuevering that went on behind the scenes, which can be read again and again at leisure. This book was so stimulating and fascinating that it encouraged me to become a Civil War buff. That is the mark of great historical fiction, that it is a fertile starting point. But nothing else I read seemed so immediate, so real. It is so multi-sided that, soon after we met, my future wife and I argued about Vidal's Lincoln for hours.
Rating:
Summary: Excellant, Malicious and Ironical Biography
Review: Gore Vidal wrote a great book about Lincoln, one of the most brilliant and opaque figures in U.S. history. Even after reading the book you are still left wondering who the man was that married the rich, but mad socialite Mary Todd, became an attorney for the Illinois Central, debated and outfoxed Judge Douglas and became the minority president who split the Union. Lincoln's motives are always layered with multiple intents and aims, his actions ambiguous. Vidal does an excellant job of protraying this ambiguity by which an utterly brilliant man managed to act most effectively in the world without being destroyed, as many brilliant people are, by their own inner demons or the jealousy of those around them. Vidal's book is especailly good for its humor. There were numerous instances when I laughed out loud, especially at Lincoln's drool wit. This is a book written by a politician. The analysis of the politics is masterful. For those who are interested in the military side of the war do not expect much, its just a side show to the politics of the beltway (when it was still just mud roads near a stinking, purtrid canal). Attorneys will enjoy the book. No cheap shots. Actual intelligent analysis of the profession and its contributions to America's greatness. Engineers, on the other hand, like General McCellan come in for their fair share of criticism in a reversal of the modern myth that software engineers add value while lawyers of supposedly dead weight. Imagine for the moment General William Gates and you see the problem. Very minor quibbles: first, a list of characters would have been very helpful, especially when you first start reading. The large cast of characters is Dostoevskian in their appearance and reappearance; some help is needed at times in keeping straight who is who. Second, the final chapter is lame. The book should have just ended with Stanton saying: "He will belong to the ages, while we are obliged to live on in the wreckage." The comments of the French Court are a dull way to end the book. These are minor criticisms. Overall this book is very much worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: How Do You End a Novel About Lincoln?
Review: Having read Vidal's BURR, I could hardly wait to tackle the next volume in his American Chronicle series: LINCOLN. The only disappointment came in that, from the very start, I could see the assassination scene at Ford's Theater. There was no changing the fact that all roads ultimately led to that bullet in the head; and when it happened, there was nothing more to do than quickly wrap up the loose ends and that was it! Such is the problem of most biographical novels, that they end in the death of their subject. Vidal deflected the problem in BURR by having the main character the fictional Charlie Schuyler (who makes a cameo appearance in LINCOLN's last chapter). Although in LINCOLN, the author used multiple points of view, not any one of these point of view characters could carry the story by himself: John Hay, Secretary of State Seward, Secretary of the Treasury Chase, and Southern sympathizer David Herrold. The last of these is the weakest. Vidal fails to provide anyone who can give a good reason to stand up for the Confederacy (such as in that great scene in the movie GETTYSBURG where Col. Joshua Chamberlain's brother talks to the three rebel prisoners and why they fought). I guess it shows that Vidal is too much of a Yankee. In the end, LINCOLN ends with the president's secretary, John Hay, in France. Perhaps more of the narrative burden should have been borne by Hay. He was certainly interesting and articulate enough, where Chase and Seward come across as eccentric and old-womanish with exaggerated opinions of themselves; and David Herold comes across as a wannabe punk. The glory of LINCOLN is in its characterization of the President himself. Lincoln always surprises his enemies and always knows more than he lets on. Before long we learn of Mary Todd Lincoln's growing mental illness and marvel at Lincoln's gentle yet effective protection of his family from the scandals that threaten to engulf it. All in all, I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Lincoln's presidency. (The book starts with his arrival in Washington to begin his first term.) Except for the construction problems noted above, I found the book to be an admirable character study by a writer who obviously loved his subject.
Rating:
Summary: Historic Fiction at its Best
Review: I am not a fan of Vidal's politics, lifestyle or world view but his historical studies are tops. This tale of Lincoln reminds one (strangely) of Safire in their fidelity to history. The characters in this book simply rise from the pages and stay with the reader long after the pages have turned and the book has been closed (the highest praise possible for a novel, by the way). We meet the 16th President who is presented as a multi-faceted man instead of the silent, stone-faced Chief Executive we have all become used to seeing. The political ins and outs - Gore's specialty - are not only clever but vibrant. There are many tales here - political, military, personal, family - and Vidal does a good job of combining them all into a highly entertaining work of art. As usual, it is the minor characters that make the book and this case is no exception. The less-notable politicos with all their scheming and planning emerge as wholly human and quite understandable. The book is longish but with writing like this it seemed like a novelette. This should be a welcome edition to everyone's library.
Rating:
Summary: Historic Fiction at its Best
Review: I am not a fan of Vidal's politics, lifestyle or world view but his historical studies are tops. This tale of Lincoln reminds one (strangely) of Safire in their fidelity to history. The characters in this book simply rise from the pages and stay with the reader long after the pages have turned and the book has been closed (the highest praise possible for a novel, by the way). We meet the 16th President who is presented as a multi-faceted man instead of the silent, stone-faced Chief Executive we have all become used to seeing. The political ins and outs - Gore's specialty - are not only clever but vibrant. There are many tales here - political, military, personal, family - and Vidal does a good job of combining them all into a highly entertaining work of art. As usual, it is the minor characters that make the book and this case is no exception. The less-notable politicos with all their scheming and planning emerge as wholly human and quite understandable. The book is longish but with writing like this it seemed like a novelette. This should be a welcome edition to everyone's library.
Rating:
Summary: Slippery
Review: I found the game of nuance between politicians tiring,but still a fascinating and hugely entertaining book.
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