Customer Reviews
A unique Life - By: Literary Fan, 28 Oct 2007 
Few people have had the experience that Gore Vidal has been fortunate to know & we are never likely to read of anything like it again. His father was FDR's Secretary of Air & from an early age GV was rubbing shoulders with the famous & the talented. He has a lovely easy style of writing & is never conceited nor condescending. He can give a unique insight into most of the significant American events of the second half of the awful 20th century, & can reveal what famous people such as Eleanor Roosevelt, the Kennedys, were like -- as people. And this also includes member of the Royal Family, some of whom he new as friends. It can be deliciously gossipy in places, but that only makes it alll the more delightful.
Dry As Old Sticks - By: Catblack_uk, 13 Jul 2007 
How could anyone who lived such an interesting life write such a boring book? It's like the only point of this memoir is to score points off his contemporaries. And in so doing, further puff up his already inflated ego.
The guy clearly has no self-awareness whatsoever. Like are we supposed to admire him when he claims he is 100% top in bed & cares not a fig for his partner's satisfaction? Very admirable, Mr Vidal. What a prince amongst men!
His "life partner" is referred to in passing approximately three times in the entire book & is otherwise notable by his absence. As are friends in general. Did Vidal have any? No, just famous acquaintances he could pick apart, if this memoirs is anything to go by.
The structure of the book is as self-consciously clever-clever as is the title. A grab bag of memories scattered like cushions over the overstuffed horsehair sofa of the ultimate prissy literary queen.
Where can I buy volume 2? - By: Elizabeth Taylor, 30 Jun 2004 This is simply my favourite book of the year. I originallly bought it was I saw Gore Vidal on television & I hadn't read one of his books for a while. I must say that I was very suprised after 50 pages as I had expected gossip & human interest but not the real beauty of the novel which is both a description of lost love from a great writer as well as insight into a mind/life of a real intellect. As stated by other reviewers this is not a typical biography in that we meet the young child & have an overview of a life, its more a review of bits & pieces of his life, his musings on his actions & the meaning of his life & of course a chance to meet a lot of famous people. Gore is also not afraid to share the gruesome details such as his step-fathers inability to ''get it up'' or his relationship with his mother which as you can imagine from the fact that he used to vomit when she came into the room at the age of 11 was not a great success. Then of course our leading man also mixed with some of the intellectural, policial & cultural icons of a now past century so it can also be read from a historical perspective as an insight into a close but already lost period of time. I felt quite jealous of him swaning around Europe after the war with Tennesse Williams, or meeting the duke & duchess of windsor or partying around in the world pre-Aids or just hanging out with the kennedys alll of whom he describes on a personal rather than political level, & I haven't even mentioned the showbiz cast including Paul Newman &r Marlo Brando. I was also pleasantly suprised to know that although he is an undouted top notch whit & racontour (a dying art) he also shares the same longings as the rest of us & is able to express those in a language which is beyond most of our capabilites. At some stages I honestly just stopped reading to savour the moment or reflect. To be alllowed to share those feelings & experiences, to have them so well expressed I found simply a pure pleasure. Please Mr. Vidal, I'd be very interested in Volume 2 (apres his 39th year) where we can meet the modern scarey world of his recent political writings & touch on a rather taboo subject in our ever desperate to be young modern world that of old age.
What has Mr. Vidal ever written that wasn't interesting? - By: M. Chappell, 13 Feb 2002 Mr. Vidal, as always, manages to set a tone that is engaging & informative. As a man who so genuinely has a way with words, he's once again not failed in this overview of his earlier years....to age 39?? Having met & known such a vast array of people, he's certainly not led a dull life nor ran from a challlenge. His code of ethics is, as always, above reproach. May he always stand on his private soap box & share his knowledge, thoughts & ideas. Let's too hope he never tires of bringing the proverbial horse to water, even if at times he has to force us to take that drink!
Very funny - By: , 30 Jan 2002 Gore Vidal reflects on his life & the variety of people (both famouus & not-so-famous) who have passed through it. His recollections range from tender to bitchy, but at the same time there is a good laugh on every page.
