The Golden Age by Gore Vidal Doubleday, 2000 Started 7/22/02 Completed 7/31/02
					Review
		I have a few major problems with this book.  First there isn't a consistent narrator to move the action.  Vidal keeps switching between Peter and Caroline, almost as if he can't make up his mind which one to use.  Second, FDR dies in the middle of the book and after that the book drifts.  FDR, like Burr, like Lincoln, is loveable, but once he is gone, no one replaces him and I lost interest in the story. In fact, it seems as if Vidal spends the rest of the book coming up with gossip and criticizing the intelligence of the US citizenry.  I accept Vidal's belief that the country is run by elites for the most part born to the part.  I accept the US citizenry allows itself to be led by these people.  And I think most people recognize this.  Vidal seems to think he has really discovered something new.  Who is the ignorant one? By page 275 or so, I'm bored by book, but I feel compelled to finish it.  This is a big difference with movies, which at least with them you can fall asleep until it is over.  Vidal seems to rush through the last half also, just wanting to get it over with.  I was struck by Vidal's lack of description of Humphrey's speech at the Democratic convention in 1948, that rallied the Dems to support a strong civil rights platform.  Vidal sweeps by this and even calls Humphrey the mayor of Milwaukee (was he being ironic?  HHH was mayor of Minneapolis).  For a great description of that speech see Robert Caro's 3rd volume of the LBJ biography, "Master of the Senate." Finally, Vidal a couple of times criticizes the security at airports, who are they guarding against? he asks.  Obviously a pre 9/11 book but I think indicative of the rest of his snide comments about security.  All through the book Vidal takes issue with the US role as THE world power and our willingness to be prepared to fight enemies.  9/11 shows us there are those willing and able to harm us. A very disappointing book.  Stop half way through is my recommendation.
							Book Summaries
			Home