elsiebrady's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the political perspective from the North. I grew up in Virginia so Jefferson, Monroe, Madison are local gods. Vidal’s book was very enlightening about our country’s early politics but even foreshadowing our current politics.
peggyluwho's review against another edition
5.0
5 out of 5 dueling pistols
This is one of my all-time favorite books and was the first novel that made me love historical fiction and how it makes me curious about the factual history that lays beneath it by making it into a story where gaps and questions we will likely never have an answer to are filled in. I enjoy Vidal’s writing, it’s accessible to me and just stylized enough. I like the device of a book-within-a- book as it is employed here but generally am a fan. It obviously doesn’t shy away from some of the less than pleasant realities of the time period, such as slavery, racism, and sexism, but I didn’t read any of it as an endorsement of the prevailing opinions of the time or apologetics. If anything, one of the things about this book that I liked was that it humanized historical figures who are frequently put on a pedestal, the “Founding Fathers”, and showed them with all their glorious flaws on display. It pokes holes in the mythology that they were all interested in government by the masses and that they were unanimously and wholeheartedly committed to democracy. Plots to colonize to the east and south of the United States and install new monarchies were not a thing that I was taught in history classes throughout my childhood, but I did learn about from this book. I took Burr as a starting point and was able to investigate the history further to find out more about not just Aaron Burr, but many of his contemporaries. At the same time, I was entertained.
This is one of my all-time favorite books and was the first novel that made me love historical fiction and how it makes me curious about the factual history that lays beneath it by making it into a story where gaps and questions we will likely never have an answer to are filled in. I enjoy Vidal’s writing, it’s accessible to me and just stylized enough. I like the device of a book-within-a- book as it is employed here but generally am a fan. It obviously doesn’t shy away from some of the less than pleasant realities of the time period, such as slavery, racism, and sexism, but I didn’t read any of it as an endorsement of the prevailing opinions of the time or apologetics. If anything, one of the things about this book that I liked was that it humanized historical figures who are frequently put on a pedestal, the “Founding Fathers”, and showed them with all their glorious flaws on display. It pokes holes in the mythology that they were all interested in government by the masses and that they were unanimously and wholeheartedly committed to democracy. Plots to colonize to the east and south of the United States and install new monarchies were not a thing that I was taught in history classes throughout my childhood, but I did learn about from this book. I took Burr as a starting point and was able to investigate the history further to find out more about not just Aaron Burr, but many of his contemporaries. At the same time, I was entertained.
jommerson's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
hpuphd's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this novel when it was published in 1973 but was slightly put off by the deglamorizing picture of the founding fathers. Rereading it now, it just seems honest in pointing out all the feet of clay. After the duel, the book may lessen in drama, but Vidal’s tone of historical gossip humanizes the story.
jennswan's review against another edition
4.0
I was surprised to discover that this book is historical fiction rather than non-fiction. It was interesting and well written, but unfortunately I started reading it just before the quarantine for COVID-19 began in spring 2020. Its length, combined with my distraction of the world around me (the world turned upside down?), caused me to struggle a bit to get through the book. While I may have struggled a little to get through it, the book is really well written. I enjoyed much of the humor and found it fascinating to read about the politics that existed among the revered founding fathers. As a fan of the musical Hamilton, I also found it interesting to find facts and phrases pulled from this book that are used in the musical. Overall, I think this is well worth the read.
zena_ryder's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not sure why but this didn't grab me as the other couple of Gore Vidal books I've read did (especially Lincoln, which is one of my all time favourites. Perhaps there was too much straightforward "re-telling" of political machinations, I don't know. However, it did provide interesting portraits of both Washington and Jefferson and I'm now looking forward to reading some time soon the (very short!) biography of Jefferson I have on my bookshelf, written by Christopher Hitchens.
rannie_'s review against another edition
informative
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
davybaby's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting presentation of the late life of Aaron Burr as told by a young admirer. I've never been a huge fan of historical fiction, and this one didn't turn the beat around for me. It was interesting to see the founding fathers reimagined from the perspective of one of the United States' oldest scoundrels, but Burr never really connects emotionally.
jkwriting24's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0