text: Did we need a Gore Vidal reader? The author is something of a long-winded blowhard, commenting at length (and I mean LENGTH) on every topic imaginable. In that respect he is America's Voltaire, creating reams of comment and interpretation on politics, the arts, and religion and morals. It's hard to say where Vidal fits in the framework of 20th century criticism, as he is not a conventional leftist. Because of his iconoclasm, this collection can only inform the reader about Gore Vidal, not his times nor any intellectual or political movement. All that said, Vidal is a great essayist and a droll wit. This book is much too much for the casual reader -- stick to one of his many shorter collections instead -- but for a Vidal fan (or, say, a reader of "The Nation") this book is worth the time commitment
  