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A review by jack_reid
Lincoln by Gore Vidal
4.0
Writers of historical fiction are, quite reasonably, held to different standards than writers of general fiction. First, they must integrate the available documents and research on most, if not all, mainstage characters. And second, they obviously should present events in a foremost factual manner. Sound constricting? That depends on the characters involved. For an incredibly enigmatic figure like Lincoln, Vidal gets much creative license!
Vidal's Lincoln is a mastermind political strategist with minimal interest in military matters, and the staunchest defender of the Union at a time when many thought the North and South would be better off divorced. Throughout his first presidency, Lincoln consolidates power to keep the Union on the necessary, albeit horrifically bloody, course of reunification. And, in the end, he dies the tragic death fitting for such a polarizing figure and one which Vidal believes Lincoln wanted after committing such heinous offenses against humanity.
The story primarily takes place in Washington, D.C., in the President's House, private homes, bars, and restaurants, and at public events. Rather than attempt to understand Lincoln directly, which would present an even more frightening task, Vidal uses several characters around Lincoln to follow events while providing their commentary on actions taken. Multiple lenses provide varying viewpoints and paint a broad picture of Lincoln, from political opportunist to agnostic to Westerner to military blundered. Vidal's character study of Lincoln offers insight into an intensely private public figure, humanizing the legend into a still difficult-to-understand man, as his contemporaries often viewed him. Altogether, a fantastic character study.
The prose is very readable and written for a broad audience. Vidal assumes some familiarity with the Civil War, so I ended up spending a good hour on Wikipedia, brushing up on the war timeline and notable characters.
Why 4/5? In places, the story drags, and I lost interest. Specifically, Mary Todd comes across as an unsympathetic character, and I disliked reading about her embarrassing antics as First Lady. The book is also a bit long. Finally, I find it difficult to rate historical fiction a 5/5 given the stances such novels must take on characters. Historians often provide several possible explanations and rationales for actions and their consequences. Naturally, historical fiction tends to provide one, and while providing for better reading, simplifies the complex in a manner I dislike. I inevitably wind up spending hours on the internet, fact-checking historical novels, and looking for alternative explanations.
By minimizing the factual disagreements, Vidal's Lincoln is the best kind of historical fiction - one that educates and inspires further interest in readers without taking too many liberties. If you're looking to learn about Lincoln or the Civil War, Vidal's novel is a fantastic place to start.
Vidal's Lincoln is a mastermind political strategist with minimal interest in military matters, and the staunchest defender of the Union at a time when many thought the North and South would be better off divorced. Throughout his first presidency, Lincoln consolidates power to keep the Union on the necessary, albeit horrifically bloody, course of reunification. And, in the end, he dies the tragic death fitting for such a polarizing figure and one which Vidal believes Lincoln wanted after committing such heinous offenses against humanity.
The story primarily takes place in Washington, D.C., in the President's House, private homes, bars, and restaurants, and at public events. Rather than attempt to understand Lincoln directly, which would present an even more frightening task, Vidal uses several characters around Lincoln to follow events while providing their commentary on actions taken. Multiple lenses provide varying viewpoints and paint a broad picture of Lincoln, from political opportunist to agnostic to Westerner to military blundered. Vidal's character study of Lincoln offers insight into an intensely private public figure, humanizing the legend into a still difficult-to-understand man, as his contemporaries often viewed him. Altogether, a fantastic character study.
The prose is very readable and written for a broad audience. Vidal assumes some familiarity with the Civil War, so I ended up spending a good hour on Wikipedia, brushing up on the war timeline and notable characters.
Why 4/5? In places, the story drags, and I lost interest. Specifically, Mary Todd comes across as an unsympathetic character, and I disliked reading about her embarrassing antics as First Lady. The book is also a bit long. Finally, I find it difficult to rate historical fiction a 5/5 given the stances such novels must take on characters. Historians often provide several possible explanations and rationales for actions and their consequences. Naturally, historical fiction tends to provide one, and while providing for better reading, simplifies the complex in a manner I dislike. I inevitably wind up spending hours on the internet, fact-checking historical novels, and looking for alternative explanations.
By minimizing the factual disagreements, Vidal's Lincoln is the best kind of historical fiction - one that educates and inspires further interest in readers without taking too many liberties. If you're looking to learn about Lincoln or the Civil War, Vidal's novel is a fantastic place to start.