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Title: Creation : A Novel by Gore Vidal ISBN: 0-375-72705-1 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 27 August, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $17.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.61 (23 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent
Comment: Another very intelligent and thoroughly enjoyable read from Vidal, Creation is a book I was able to sink my teeth into for several weeks. It has everything: history, travel, philsophy, etc. It is a BIG book but once you get involved, you will be totally immersed in the ancient world. Vidal is very entertaining.
Rating: 5
Summary: History masquerading as fiction
Comment: Our narrator in "Creation" is Cyrus Spitama, son of a Persian father and Greek mother, grandson of Zoroaster and friend to Xerxes. Cyrus is old and blind, he has ended up in Athens in his last years, dictating the story of his travels and his life to his nephew and scribe, Democritus. In each of the places he describes - Babylon, Cathay, India, Greece, cities of Persia - his main focus is on the religious customs, particularly various creation myths. It is no secret that Cyrus definitely favors the one (male) god that created everything, we live one life - it's good versus evil and then there's either heaven or hell.
There is so much crammed into this book, which is both its' strength and weakness. There are so many characters in this book, especially in the parts dealing with the Greeks, that it sometimes reads more like a history lesson than page turning fiction. Over the course of his life Cyrus comes to know Darius & Xerxes, both Great Kings of Persia, Zoroaster, the Buddha, Confucius, Socrates, and Li Tzu, quite amazing for a single individual. Even so, it's the scope of this book that makes it so interesting, I thought the trips through what is now India and China were the best parts. Who were the Aryans, really?
In spite of its weaknesses, I can't think of any other work of fiction that introduces so many customs, traditions, and philosophies of the ancient world and also encourages an awareness of the vastness of human civilization and history.
Rating: 3
Summary: Slogging Through the Ancient World
Comment: I agree with Oakshaman's observations that Vidal has projected 20th century cynicism onto a "BC" backdrop. I disagree with the rosey notion that it is only recently that men have become callous and cynical and that Washington and the beltway are unique in the history of mankind. There is nothing new etc.
Even today we have Nobel prize winners giving away the prize money for scholarships, alongside governments enriching their friends by waging unecessary wars.
Remember also that a great number of Americans literally believe that the "Lord" lives in the sky and is engaged in a running battle with "eevil". Vidal may have been taking a not so subtle indirect swipe at the "spirituality" of his motherland.
The contention that we have an overly romantic concept of Greek civilization to the detriment of other ancient civilizations seems a fair point to me. Gore's point may also be that Athens was the cradle for a system that has mutated inth the farse now seen in Washington, so it doesn't seem like something to be overly proud of.
My issue with the book is that it essentially lacks any engaging characters. The narrator's cynicism is not tinged with sufficient humour to make it palatable and there wasn't a single character or event in the book which I cared one whit about.
I do agree that Vidal was summarily dismissive of Tao philosophy in favor of Confucian pragmatism and I was disappointed by this in terms of my personal phlosophical preferences.
I would not recommend this as a pleasurable read but you might learn some ancient history by drudging through it.
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Title: Julian : A Novel by GORE VIDAL ISBN: 037572706X Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 12 August, 2003 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: Burr : A Novel by Gore Vidal ISBN: 0375708731 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 15 February, 2000 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Empire : A Novel by Gore Vidal ISBN: 037570874X Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 01 August, 2000 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: 1876 : A Novel by Gore Vidal ISBN: 0375708723 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 15 February, 2000 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Lincoln: A Novel by Gore Vidal ISBN: 0375708766 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 15 February, 2000 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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