Julian: A Novel by Gore Vidal Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $8.93 You Save: $7.07 (44%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $4.47 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Julian: A Novel
Book Review: Remarkable
Summary: 4 Stars
Gore Vidal manages to get inside the head of Julianus, Priscus and Libanius with such realism that we feel that we're reading a real diary...it's great. There are some little (forgivable)mistakes, but the facts are accurate and written imaginatively. Obviously, vidal read some material about Rome and the way "pagans" thought or the rivalries between several cristhian factions. I don't give a 5 because vidal should have studied a little more about roman warfare on the 4th century.Book Review: One of the most interesting Roman emperors
Summary: 5 Stars
Probably because of my pagan sympathies, this is one of my favorite books. Julian is, by far, one of the most interesting of all the Roman emperors, and this book is an excellent and creative interpretation of his life. If you are somewhat disillusioned by Christianity, this book may provide you with some insight into how Roman paganism was overturned by the Christians. I've read other biographies and historical accounts from this era, but Gore Vidal really brings this colorful emperor, and the time period, to life.Book Review: Julian, the 4th century, and religious/political conflict
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all this was the most entertaining and believable work of historical fiction I have ever read. Everytime I read about Julian, whether through Marcellinus or in secondary works I envision him as the character presented in this masterpiece. Vidal successfully presents Julian as a strong individual, albeit a suppressed youth reacting against the anti-intellectual religion(christianity/arianism) of his cousin, Emperor Constantius II. Vidal does a good job portraying Julian as an almost Marcus Aurelius like figure, balancing philosophy with the military defense of the empire. Sometimes Julian wishes he were just a philosopher and other times he believes he is the reincarnation of Alexander the Great, although the latter seems to be a common trend among hellenized roman Emperors. This book is not only worth reading for those interested in late antiquity, it is an essential work that should supplement Marcellinus's later roman history. If only Julian had lived as long as Octavian!!Book Review: Vidal shows his teeth!
Summary: 5 Stars
Vidal is no fan of organized religion of any stripe, but he especially dislikes the authoritarian history of Christianity down through the centuries. The Emperor Julian, called "the Apostate" by the followers of the Gallilean, was the grandson of Constantine and the nephew of Constans. He was a philospher by nature but also a natural military genius who took back Gaul from the Germanic tribes. Most important, Julian was a convinced Hellenist and when he finally came to power, he made a serious effort to enforce religious tolerance in the empire -- something the Christian bishops certainly didn't want, and still don't! Unfortunately, he reigned for only four years and was killed (probably murdered at the instigation of the bishops) on campaign in Persia. And that was the last chance the ancient world had. After Julian's death, the Church was firmly in charge and stayed that way. Vidal's polemical style is always enjoyable, but especially so in this case, with Julian pointing out to his politico-religious enemies the many ways in which they don't practice what they preach. Vidal doesn't invent any history here; in fact, he hews more closely to the provable facts than most "Christian" histories of the classical era. So why is this book out of print?!Book Review: A Wonderful Tale of the Roman Decline
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the only Gore Vidal novel I've been able to get through but it is itself a fantastic novel of the decline of the Roman empire. Vidal's unusual writing style serves him well as the narrative shifts back and forth from the correspondence of two powerful senators and Julian's own memoirs. The story (how historically accurate I cannot say,) tells the story of the young prince Julian living at the mercy of his dreaded cousin the Emperor. When events come into play he is thrust into the supreme seat of power himself and must combat not only the barabrians to the east, but the empire's own viral infection: Christianity. Julian's attempts to return the empire to the paganism that served it so well in years past is at the very heart of this story. One can certainly feel the court paranoia that prevailed in these troubled times that rivaled the excesses of Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia. This is a great book and one that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in this era or in the workings of political power in general.