This is the second Vidal book I've read, the first one being Lincoln. I would probably have rated it four stars except it was not at all what was adveThis is the second Vidal book I've read, the first one being Lincoln. I would probably have rated it four stars except it was not at all what was advertised.
I read the tittle and subtitle as being an accurate label of this book, however that is simply NOT the case. The story does take place partially in Hollywood, but most of it takes place in either Washington DC or Ohio. The story is not really about the 1920s because the first 2/3 of it take place during World War I and the Paris Peace Conference. In the end we only get to 1923, meaning all sorts of events, like the Harlem Renaissance, Gang wars in Chicago, and of course Stock Market Crash are all omitted. In reality this, much as one would expect from Vidal, is about the president and Congress. This book could very well have been named Wilson after President Wilson (and that probably would have been a more appropriate title).
I thought this book would go into the growth of the movie industry and the invention of talkies, which is probably the most significant movie-related event to happen during the '20s, but none of that is covered since talkies started in 1927.
All in all it's a well-written book, of course. However, the title is so misleading that I docked it a full star. The story has almost nothing to do with the advertised subject matter.
One final note, I really enjoyed the constant references to Senator Thomas Gore of Oklahoma, who was the author's grandfather and namesake. If one doesn't know the connection, his inclusion might be a little confusing. ...more
To describe this book in one word, I would choose "dreary." I found his world to be somewhat strange and highly unbelievable, which isn't really that To describe this book in one word, I would choose "dreary." I found his world to be somewhat strange and highly unbelievable, which isn't really that essential, but still, it was annoying. He present a place (somewhere in the US) after a cataclysmic event in which somehow the entire world is covered in ash and every form of life other than people, including (apparently) insects and rodents, has been wiped out, yet somehow buildings, houses and other structures are still standing. I realize that he does this as a way of setting the story, and his lack of emphasis on the backstory, a vague, ambiguous apocalypse that happened about 7 years before the novel, shows that the story is really about the relationship between the father and son. When one gets passed the vagaries of the setting, the story itself is about a father and son trying to survive in a world full of death. Graphic, disturbing, depressing and occasionally uplifting, the book's major mood is as gray as the ash-laded sky, which is a mood only further emphasized by the scorched trees and near-consant rain storms that plague the two main characters, who themselves are only identified as the Man and the Boy. I had heard good things about this book but I was somewhat disappointed. The overall message of the story is something like "life is worth living, even if it isn't." ...more
Since I grew up in North Carolina and attended UNC, just like the author, I figured I would give this book a try. Wolfe, like many Southern writers frSince I grew up in North Carolina and attended UNC, just like the author, I figured I would give this book a try. Wolfe, like many Southern writers from the early 20th century, lived a tortured and dreary life as a child and young man. The story is autobiographical and covers his father's life, and his own life from childhood to his graduation from UNC. Wolfe is a very verbose author and the overall content of the book could probably have been written in significantly fewer pages. That being said, it offers a very interesting perspective into life in Asheville, NC before WWI.
Since I'm pretty familiar with Asheville today and very familiar with Chapel Hill, I found the most interesting part to be his descriptions of both towns at the time. The cities and state have changed so much since then, as one would expect over a 100 year period.
This book is of pretty high literary quality, but I found it somewhat lacking in entertainment quality. It's an intellectual tome that requires a bit more brainpower than a mass market novel. As I said, I found the illustrations of North Carolina to be the best part, so I'm not sure how others will relate to this novel. ...more
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