Vidal"s victories

Recently there has been a nagging feeling that the “law of diminishing returns” is now well and truly in progress for the illustrious Mr Vidal.

Recent comments made by Vidal about the Polanski affair, uncharacteristic dithering over Obama’s presidency and repetitious essays over the last 10 years are all signals of this unfortunate state of affairs.

So now would seem to be a good time to remind ourselves of Mr Vidal’s past victories – perhaps even to get them from the shelf and delight in them once again; to forgive his current, and seemingly fearful, railing against the “dying of the light”.

If you were disappointed by ‘Point to Point Navigation’ then re-read ‘Palimpsest’, a sumptuous read.  It is Twain’s advice on writing a memoir brought to perfect fruition.

If you dislike the one-horse arguments of his recent essays, look to the earlier collections or to ‘United States’, a vast collection of essays that dizzies as it looks at the triumvirate states of self, art and Union.  Montaigne would have approved, I am sure.

If you miss the fiction ‘The Smithsonian Institution’ (published in 1998) was the last we heard of the “inventions”.  Re-read this emotional story packed with allusion and illusion that is a summation of all Gore’s beliefs and obsessions.  Or go back to ‘Myra Breckinridge’ and don’t stop laughing for the week after you’ve read it.

Finally, if you are indifferent to the ‘Narratives of Empire’ then head to ‘Julian’ and find a truly exceptional example of historical fiction.

There is much good work to covet and celebrate – and protect – even if their author is prone to disregard it.