Julian: A Novel by Gore Vidal Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Julian: A Novel
Book Review: Good historical fiction with lots of good history
Summary: 5 Stars
Gore Vidal's Julian is a work of historical fiction, that with its good foundation of true history, makes for a very enjoyable read. I personally love this time period, the fourth century AD, and the transition from rule in Rome to that in Constantinople. While Vidal attempted to generate a history with life to it, his own personal anti-Christian views became embodied a too much in the character Julian.
Julian the Apostate reigned for about three years, and in that time, tried to replace paganism as the state religion, which had occurred for show during the reign of Constantine the Great. While he attempted to do this, which was very popular with the army, the general population had moved on and Julian's dream of a pagan empire was possibly killed by him.
The shape of the novel is an exchange of letters between two friends, Priscus and Libanius, and the personal journal of Julian. Both Pricus and Libanius are writing some fifteen years later during the reign of Valentinian I, and are attempting to publish the memoirs in an attempt to put positive spin on Julian and also as a volume of anti-Christian rhetoric to use against pagan persecution.
As a bit of a spoiler, the novel has at the end, the angry Christian faction of Julian's army assassinating him by one of his body guards. While this does sit well within reason for the political climate of the time, historians generally agree that he was probably was killed in battle against the Persians. One thing that I think Vidal got right is that Julian never uttered at his death, the words "Thou hast conquered, Galilean". This is just a fragment of revisionist history done by Theodoret, a Christian writer with an ax to grind against the former emperor.
Overall, this novel is fairly true to history, but more importantly, is a good story about a man, who through his seeming unwillingness to rule, ended up being a better ruler than most of his contemporaries. This is a good read, and I highly recommend.
Book Review: Gore Vidal's Best
Summary: 5 Stars
JULIAN is the best book Vidal has ever written. His descriptions of the characters, their actions and surroundings are vivid and concise. Not a single word is wasted. Vidal's portrait of the 4th century Roman Empire is more fantastic and colorful than anything Tolkien could have dreamed up, and just happens to be REAL! Unlike Tolkien, Vidal can create interesting characters and have them say and do interesting things.Julian's time was one of the most important in history. In a generation, Rome went from being the greatest empire the world had seen to a hollow tree trunk that would fall in the next storm. Between the civil wars, assassinations, wars on all fronts against "barbarians", Christianity and the loss of the middle class, Rome was mortally wounded. Less than twenty years after his death, Rome was trounced at Adrianople by the Goths. Over the next 150 years, the Eastern Empire tried to win back the West bit by bit until plague halted everything @540 A.D.. In Julian, Gore Vidal shows how the seeds for Rome's demise were sown by none other than Constantine. Could Julian have changed the course of history? Vidal is non-commital, but I think it was possible.
Julian makes the reader think more about history and "what if?" than all that Harry Turtledove alternate history nonsense combined.
Book Review: Julian Had the Right Idea
Summary: 4 Stars
The Roman Emperor Julian, nephew of Constantine and last of the Flavians, had the right idea, that is, and if his ambitious reforms had succeeded, I'm quite sure the history of the many centuries from his reign to the present would have witnessed fewer atrocities and stupidities!!!
Well, I'm really not so sure of that, humanity having its little ways, but I choose to say so out of pure provocation, which was also Gore Vidal's prime motive for writing this fiction. The key here, dear reader, will be whether you know enough history to be provoked, If you have little or no idea who Julian was in real life, or what he attempted, you will not be properly provoked by my statement. You will also NOT enjoy this book; you need to understand what was, and is, at stake. Besides, the allusive humor of Vidal's writing will escape you. This is not sound history; it's merely a snarky, playful diversion for the educated elite.
And it's an imitation, at best, of Robert Graves's "I Claudius." It suffers from that comparison. The real Julian was in many ways a more impressive and interesting figure than the absurd Claudius, although the latter had greater success in the end than the former. But Vidal seems to have been unable to decide whether to treat his "hero" with full-snark mockery or with grudging admiration. The whole book teeters between Vidal's urge to land squarely in Julian's camp, treating his ideals with high seriousness, and his contrary urge to take nothing seriously, to spatter his scorn generously on each and all. Vidal patently sees himself in the lineage of Oscar Wilde and Robert Graves, as a supercilious, merciless social critic. He comes close enough to be amusing. I've given this book four stars as a cautionary rating for a general readership. If you're the sort of reader who appreciates snide wit and relentless skepticism, you'll surely want to rate it higher.
Book Review: Julian sings his tale from hades
Summary: 5 Stars
I have wanted to read this book for years now, and have actually owned it for some months before actually picking it up. Most fiction bores me to tears; this was amazing. The fact that it was historical fiction on a personage I admire greatly didn't hurt, but I think it stands alone in of itself as a novel. Julian was the nephew of Constantine the great. He was a philosopher type, given to bookish persuits. He was more or less forced into politics, and was quite successful in his pursuits; particularly his military adventures. He was a true philosopher-king who nearly surpassed the conquests of Alexander the Great. And as a pagan, he attempted to turn back the tide of christianity. The book suffered from some minor flaws in terms of characterization and historical naievite, but largely it was a wonderful read. Even the pathos of the dying Julian was done very well. Inspiring!Book Review: Julian the last brilliant light of dying pagan Hellenism
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a delightfully enjoyable read as a novel.
Equally valuable is the depiction of the Roman Imperial world shortly after Constantine, and Julian's attempt to revive syncretic pagan Hellenism as the official religion of the Empire.
Julian, an intriguing Emperor, distinguished for his traditional virtue-- or to use the Greek word, arete-- who was also a potent warlord and administrator, philosopher-- in a way Julian was the last flourish of the dying Hellenic pagan world eclipsed by Christianity. The author illustrates, depicts, personalizes, and explores these reknowned aspects of Julian and almost magically recreates a living character out of the ink on the page.