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A review by iancolby
Lincoln by Gore Vidal
2.0
I'm surprised by how much I didn't enjoy this book. Here's the thing: anytime the narrative focus is on Lincoln, the book is firecrackers. I'm keeping the book just so I can reread some of Lincoln's quips, stories, and stratagems. He's a fascinating character no matter the quality of the writing.
But for a book titled "Lincoln," there are long stretches where he's not in focus. Vidal has a number of POV characters. Aside from Seward (who ends up in scenes with Lincoln anyway), these other POV characters are boring at best (Salmon and Kate Chase) and grating at worst (Mary Todd Lincoln). I can't say whether the real life figures would be this boring or grating, but Vidal makes them so. I'm sure Vidal's intent was to reflect on Lincoln's character by demonstrating how those around him acted or were changed by Lincoln. He does this masterfully with Seward. But I'm not sure he needed to get so deep into details about a stolen speech, money problems, or bad marriages. Those characters' actions could have still been shown without making them POV characters. I think the narrative comes to a screeching halt when those characters, and not Lincoln, are the focus. Those stretches made completing the book a chore.
When a book becomes a chore to finish, I cannot give it higher than two stars.
But for a book titled "Lincoln," there are long stretches where he's not in focus. Vidal has a number of POV characters. Aside from Seward (who ends up in scenes with Lincoln anyway), these other POV characters are boring at best (Salmon and Kate Chase) and grating at worst (Mary Todd Lincoln). I can't say whether the real life figures would be this boring or grating, but Vidal makes them so. I'm sure Vidal's intent was to reflect on Lincoln's character by demonstrating how those around him acted or were changed by Lincoln. He does this masterfully with Seward. But I'm not sure he needed to get so deep into details about a stolen speech, money problems, or bad marriages. Those characters' actions could have still been shown without making them POV characters. I think the narrative comes to a screeching halt when those characters, and not Lincoln, are the focus. Those stretches made completing the book a chore.
When a book becomes a chore to finish, I cannot give it higher than two stars.