<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Facts Aside, Vidal Remains Elusive
Review: A biographer's task begins with difficulty. Add more difficulty when his subject is still alive, and square that when the subject is as lively, controlling and litigious as Gore Vidal. When I learned that this project was about to be undertaken, I simply rolled my eyes and whipered "Good Luck, Mr. Kaplan."Needless to say, I was not surprised when I read the results, for they were exactly what I expected. However, my expectation was tempered by my joy at discovering heretofore unknown facts about the life of the subject. Given the handicap of working with Vidal, Kaplan produces a surprisingly strong biography. When judging it we must keep two things in mind: (1) Before this book, little was known of Vidal's life other than what appeared in the society pages and gossip sheets. For someone who has lived the last forty years of his life squarely in the public eye, Vidal has remained virtually unkown to that public. (2) Vidal is still very much with us and he is an extremely controlling person. Kaplan had a hell of a battle in refusing Vidal's request to see the manuscript before publication. As it was, the omissions from the book are minor and the book itself is surprisingly factual in spite of the hurdles Kaplan had to face. (For instance, Vidal didn't become political until the late Fifties, a fact which Kaplan deftly works in at the right moment.) Now that the tome is in paperback, one can safely buy it without the feeling of having wasted one's money. For those purists out there who feel the book was not worth the time, remember this: The book is well-written and contains many items and facts about the life of Gore Vidal that were not public knowledge. And that he wrote such a tome under the controlling gaze of Vidal was a triumph in itself. For those who want an unexpurgated life of Vidal, sorry . . . you'll just have to wait until after his death.
Rating: 
Summary: Excessively Long
Review: A book of near 900 pages, and especially a biography can be particularly daunting. Questions come to mind like: what happens if I die and never reach the end! Kaplan has a great appreciation for Vidal, evidence from the quality of research in this book, and his editing of the best of vidal book. However, the great flaw with the book, is that kaplan at times is to close to his subject. Its inter-subjectivity leaves the reading thinking at times - what would a critic say at this point. The analysis often lacks critical value. Overall, a complete a thorough study.
Rating: 
Summary: Love Gore, don't like this book
Review: As a long-time fan of Gore Vidal (both the man and his work) I was disappointed with Kaplan's treatment. He is overly fawning of Vidal and looks at all events soley through his subject's eyes. The result is a fawing biography with little, if any, critical analysis or realism about Vidal. Kaplan also has a propensity for constantly droning on about Gore's good looks. Every few pages we are reminded that Vidal was "handsome," striking" or given details about his mesmerizing pulchritude. Enough, already. There was ample gossip and name dropping, so if you're into dirt on the Kennedy's, Capote or Gore himself, you won't be disappointed. But if you're seeking a serious or even semi-critical examination of Gore, flaws and all, you won't find it here. It's a shame, because few men of any generation have had the brains, wit and talent of Gore Vidal, but he has proven elusive to the picklocks of biographers.
Rating:
Summary: Love Gore, don't like this book
Review: As a long-time fan of Gore Vidal (both the man and his work) I was disappointed with Kaplan's treatment. He is overly fawning of Vidal and looks at all events soley through his subject's eyes. The result is a fawing biography with little, if any, critical analysis or realism about Vidal. Kaplan also has a propensity for constantly droning on about Gore's good looks. Every few pages we are reminded that Vidal was "handsome," striking" or given details about his mesmerizing pulchritude. Enough, already. There was ample gossip and name dropping, so if you're into dirt on the Kennedy's, Capote or Gore himself, you won't be disappointed. But if you're seeking a serious or even semi-critical examination of Gore, flaws and all, you won't find it here. It's a shame, because few men of any generation have had the brains, wit and talent of Gore Vidal, but he has proven elusive to the picklocks of biographers.
Rating:
Summary: This is not an authorized biography!
Review: I have heard Vidal speaking about this book, and it is not authorized- the author refused to show it to him before publication, and he considered trying to block its publication. Since it came out, he has refused to read it, but has made numerous comments about the author's shoddy research, citing several examples of inaccuracies. The author also continually lied to the press about Vidal, saying that Vidal had asked him to write this biography, which he did not do, etc.
Rating:
Summary: This is not an authorized biography!
Review: I have heard Vidal speaking about this book, and it is not authorized- the author refused to show it to him before publication, and he considered trying to block its publication. Since it came out, he has refused to read it, but has made numerous comments about the author's shoddy research, citing several examples of inaccuracies. The author also continually lied to the press about Vidal, saying that Vidal had asked him to write this biography, which he did not do, etc.
Rating:
Summary: Thorough if nothing else.
Review: Kaplan is far to thorough in his autobiography of a man who isn't yet dead. The book goes on and on, and while factual, tries to be too clever, as if Kaplan were trying to imitate Vidal's wit in his own presentation of Vidal. This will probably only appeal to the most feverish followers of Vidal (like me). Everyone else would be better served by Vidal's semi-autobiographical novel, Palimpsest. Alternatively, wait until the poor guy passes when writers will get the chance to give Vidal the same treatment he gave Lincoln and Burr.
Rating: 
Summary: Juicy, yet slow, which is what i want and don't want
Review: Sure, i might like the book cause GV and I share the same personality. Putting that aside, i'm only on page 369....and I plan to continue to the last 799th page. It is salacious. Very detailed. I love the quick drop-ins of names I felt were more MASS-FAMOUS than GV. Before reading this, I was totally ignorant of who GV was. I'd just see a quote, like, "When attending an orgy, make sure you're look good" by GV. And no one ever told me WHO HE WAS outside of just being an "author." Expect cover-to-cover pages of incidents with fame for GV. I'm still reeling over the quick blip of the KEROUAC/GV "intense sex" scene. good for all newbies of GV. And if you already knew OF him, this will give you DETAILS for you to incise and pick at mysterious contradictions.
Rating:
Summary: Juicy, yet slow, which is what i want and don't want
Review: Sure, i might like the book cause GV and I share the same personality. Putting that aside, i'm only on page 369....and I plan to continue to the last 799th page. It is salacious. Very detailed. I love the quick drop-ins of names I felt were more MASS-FAMOUS than GV. Before reading this, I was totally ignorant of who GV was. I'd just see a quote, like, "When attending an orgy, make sure you're look good" by GV. And no one ever told me WHO HE WAS outside of just being an "author." Expect cover-to-cover pages of incidents with fame for GV. I'm still reeling over the quick blip of the KEROUAC/GV "intense sex" scene. good for all newbies of GV. And if you already knew OF him, this will give you DETAILS for you to incise and pick at mysterious contradictions.
Rating:
Summary: Too Many, Too Much
Review: Too many dropped names dropped too often. Too many references to Vidal's good looks: twice in the same paragraph in addition to every dozen or so pages. Too much repetition--of the good looks, of the dropped names, of the same old childish feuds reopened and redissected too often. And yet there seemed to be some serious omissions. No mention of whether Gore's grandfather, T. P. Gore, was related to the Tennessee Gores. No mention in almost 800 pages of the House Un-American Activities Committee or Joseph McCarthy and his infamous hearings, although Vidal was a person intimately involved in both Hollywood and politics. I rarely think a book is too long, but for this one, I'll make an exception. The book was too long.
<< 1 >>
| 
