Gore Vidal and Antiquity: Sex, Politics and Religion

This book explores Gore Vidals lifelong engagement with the ancient world, tracing the dialogue between Vidal and antiquity over his sixty-year career. It examines his portrayals of the ancient past in novels, plays, and essays and how classical literature inspired his fiction and other works. It offers new insights into Vidals attitudes, influences, and beliefs and his patrician self-fashioning and mercurial output.

Format: Hardback
Length: 190 pages
Publication date: 15 July 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This captivating book delves into the profound and enduring connection between Gore Vidal and the ancient world. Drawing from a rich tapestry of his novels, essays, screenplays, and plays, it compellingly argues that Vidal's engagement with antiquity played a pivotal role in shaping his self-perception, writing style, and worldview. Spanning his illustrious sixty-year career, the book is organized into three primary thematic sections: sex, politics, and religion. Within these chapters, the author traces the intricate dialogue between Vidal and antiquity, highlighting the profound influence that classical literature had on his diverse literary creations.

Broughall meticulously examines Vidal's portrayals of the ancient past in his notable novels, including "Julian" (1964), "Creation" (1981), and "Live from Golgotha" (1992). He also explores how classical literature inspired Vidal's other fiction works, such as "The City and the Pillar" (1948), "Myra Breckinridge" (1968), and his expansive "Narratives of Empire" (1967–2000) series. Beyond his literary contributions, Broughall delves into the ways in which antiquity influenced Vidal's careers as a playwright, essayist, and satirist. He assesses the profound impact of classical authors and their works upon Vidal, shedding light on his intellectual influences and the shaping of his unique perspective.

This book holds immense appeal to students and scholars engaged in the fields of classical studies, reception studies, American politics, and literature. It offers a fresh and original perspective on one of the most provocative and influential writers of post-war American letters. By providing new insights into Vidal's attitudes, influences, and beliefs, the book sheds light on his patrician self-fashioning and his mercurial output. It serves as a valuable resource for those seeking to deepen their understanding of this remarkable literary figure and his enduring legacy.

Weight: 526g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032285337