Julian: A Novel (Vintage International)

by Gore Vidal
Julian: A Novel (Vintage International) cover
Good Books rating 3.56
Technical
  • ID: 5339
  • Added: 2025-10-23
  • Updated: 2025-10-23
  • Reviews: 4
Reviews
picclick.co.uk · Unknown · 2025-10-24
brilliant 4.50

The reviewer found 'The War of Art' by Steven Pressfield to be a must-read for creatives, emphasizing the importance of hard work, professionalism, and overcoming resistance. The book is praised for its practical advice and tough love approach to achieving creative goals.

The reviewer initially read 'The War of Art' in college and later realized its profound impact. The book is compared to Sun-Tzu's 'The Art of War' and is highly recommended for anyone pursuing creative dreams. Pressfield's focus on overcoming resistance, embracing hard work, and working professionally is highlighted as crucial for long-term success. The reviewer appreciates the book's practical advice and its ability to inspire readers to face their fears and achieve their highest potential. The takeaways include the importance of hard work, professionalism, recognizing procrastination, and pressing forward despite fear.

Quick quotes

    The War of Art is not about genius, it’s about work.

    Pressfield also stresses the importance of working toward your goal in a professional manner.

    The War of Art highlights the importance of overcoming resistance in order to reach your dreams.

    An easy trap aspiring authors fall

ebay.co.uk · Unknown · 2025-10-24
mixed 3.25

The book is seen as having some valuable insights but is criticized for being overly simplistic and repetitive. Some readers found it inspiring and helpful in overcoming creative blocks, while others felt it was pretentious and not worth the length.

The book is praised for its metaphors and frameworks that help in understanding the creative life. It is seen as a useful guide for those struggling with creative blocks, providing tools to examine one's mindset and initiate growth. However, some readers found the book to be overly simplistic and repetitive, with key points that could have been condensed into a pamphlet. The notion of shirking all responsibilities to serve an artistic purpose is criticized as coming from a place of privilege. Overall, the book is seen as having some valuable insights but is not universally appreciated for its length and presentation.

Quick quotes

    This book is amazing in terms of giving you metaphors and frameworks for the creative life.

    Good ideas presented in an over the top fashion.

    It felt pretty sexist too and had religious overtones. Ew, yawn.

fishpond.co.nz · Unknown · 2025-10-24
inspiring 4.50

The reviewer found Steven Pressfield's 'The War of Art' to be a powerful and motivational book that addresses the internal resistance to creativity. They appreciated its practical advice on overcoming resistance and developing discipline, though they suggested a more flexible approach to writing routines for those balancing other responsibilities.

The reviewer recently reread 'The War of Art' by Steven Pressfield and found it to be a powerful and motivational book. They highlighted the concept of 'resistance' as an internal obstacle to creativity, which Pressfield argues is the primary enemy of productivity. The reviewer appreciated the book's practical advice on overcoming resistance by developing discipline and treating writing as a professional commitment. However, they suggested a more flexible approach to writing routines, especially for those balancing other responsibilities, and emphasized the importance of self-compassion and sustainability in creative practices. Overall, the reviewer found the book to be a valuable resource for anyone looking to overcome creative blocks and develop a consistent writing habit.

Quick quotes

    Resistance is internal. It’s not the laundry list of external obstacles we often cite as the forces that keep us from writing. Those are excuses — they’re the external manifestation, if you will, of the real enemy, which is…us.

    The professional knows that fear can never be overcome. He knows there is no such thing as a fearless warrior or a dread-free artist.

    We are so much more than any one thing we do, and it’s easy to forget that. Pressfield’s reminder is, to me, liberating. “The professional loves her work. She is invested in it wholeheartedly. But she does not forget that the work is not her.

blackwells.co.uk · Unknown · 2025-10-24
critical 2.00

The reviewer finds the book's central thesis on procrastination valuable but criticizes it for being filled with superstition, unsubstantiated claims, and extremist views. They argue that the book oversimplifies complex issues and fails to consider valid reasons for resistance.

The reviewer appreciates the book's main idea that procrastination can be harmful to long-term success. However, they find the majority of the content problematic. The book is criticized for including superstition, thinly veiled proselytizing, and bullshit facts. For example, the reviewer mentions absurd claims such as Hitler starting World War II due to procrastination, and that overcoming procrastination would magically empty prisons and cure diseases like dandruff. The reviewer also takes issue with the book's absolutist and extremist tone, which fails to acknowledge that resistance can sometimes be a form of good judgment or self-preservation. Overall, the reviewer finds the book's central thesis valuable but feels it is buried under a lot of unnecessary and unsubstantiated content.

Quick quotes

    Reading this book is like fishing through a landfill site for diamonds; they're there, just buried under mountains of crap.

    The central thesis is that procrastination is often harmful to our long-term success, and of this point I have no disagreement.

    This book is very absolutist and extremist, and fails to take into account the occasions an internal resistance to doing something is not true procrastination, but the cornerstone of good judgment and sometimes even self-preservation.

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