The review discusses Gore Vidal's memoir and his reflections on his life and career, particularly focusing on his novel 'The City and the Pillar'. It highlights the impact of the novel and the choices Vidal made that shaped his life.
Gore Vidal's memoir delves into his early life and the pivotal decisions that defined his career. The review emphasizes the significance of his novel 'The City and the Pillar', which challenged societal norms and sparked controversy. Vidal's reflections on his choices and the reactions to his work provide insight into his life and the literary landscape of his time. The review also touches on the enduring impact of the novel and the personal connections Vidal made through his writing.
Quick quotes
The fact is that all of us have stolen pears; the mystery is why so few of us rate halos.
I knew that my description of the love affair between two “normal” all-American boys of the sort that I had spent three years with in the wartime army would challenge every superstition about sex in my native land.
The English publisher, John Lehmann, was very nervous. In his memoirs, _The Whispering Gallery_, he writes, “There were several passages in _The City and the Pillar_, a sad, almost tragic book and a remarkable achievement in a difficult territory for so young a man, that seemed to my travellers and the printers to go too far in frankness.