KAPLAN, FRED — Gore Vidal a Biography

Doubleday. 1999. Hardcover with dust jacket, 24 Cm. Book, 1.3 kgs & 850 pp in total. faults? Bump to top edge, dj worn at fold front flap (we do have a better copy) Novelist, cultural critic, essayist, historian, comic satirist, image maker, provocateur, actor, homosexual, bisexual..controversial, brilliant, confrontational, unflinching, cynical, idealistic..finding words to describe Gore Vidal is never difficult. And yet, an accurate picture of this multifaceted chameleon has eluded us until now. Here, at last, is a vastly entertaining biography of an American icon. Kaplan enjoyed complete access to Vidal's papers, letters, and private photographs, as well as television and newsreel footage, but was guaranteed a free hand by Vidal to write as he saw fit. The result is a lively, witty, and textured life of a literary colossus. review >>> One of the reasons this biography is such a joy is it gives the reader ample demonstration of Vidal's scintillating wit and always illuminating social observation/criticism. Very Good/Poor.