The Man Who Wrote Burr

[nightdog_barks]

Literary lion Gore Vidal is dead at 86.

Comments

[third_owl]

Fascinating man. I don't think I've ever read anything of his, or known much about him at all, though his name is one I've recognized for ages.

It's so sad to me that he lost his Jimmie.

[mer_duff]

Very sad. I loved his take on history - the Narratives of Empire books, of course (Burr is one of my all-time favourite novels - so cheeky!) - but also Julian and Creation.

I was actually just going through some old New York Times Magazines the other day and found a "Questions For" with him that was wonderfully outrageous. Final exchange - "Well, it was a great pleasure talking to you." "I doubt that."

[nightdog_barks]

I remember reading Burr when it came out and being so astonished (and thrilled) at its skewering of Historical Personages and Our Founding Fathers. :D

And omg that quote! I am beaming.

[pwcorgigirl]

Just a collection of Gore Vidal's one-line character sketches/assassinations would make a great read. The man had the DNA of a scorpion. :-D

[nightdog_barks]

The Guardian has collected some of them!

... the DNA of a scorpion.

YES THIS.

[pwcorgigirl]

Dear lord, what a sizzling wit! "The four most beautiful words in our common language: I told you so."

:-D

[taiga13]

It's true, too! My vote for the scariest are "We need to talk", with "I have an idea" in second place.
I've heard of Gore Vidal but have never read him. Well, he thought enough of himself while alive that he doesn't need my praise now that he's dead :P

[pwcorgigirl]

Maeve Binchy is also dead. If there's a literary afterlife, her sweetness just balanced out Gore's acid tongue.