Empire of Self, Jay Parini
Empire of Self, Jay Parini
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Empire of Self
A Life of Gore Vidal

Author: Jay Parini

Narrator: John Lescault

Unabridged: 16 hr 23 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/13/2015

Synopsis

An intimate, authorized, yet frank biography of Gore Vidal (1925–2012), one of the most accomplished, visible, and controversial American novelists and cultural figures of the past century.The product of thirty years of friendship and conversation, Jay Parini’s Empire of Self probes behind the glittering surface of Gore Vidal’s colorful life to reveal the complex emotional and sexual truth underlying his celebrity-strewn life. But there is plenty of glittering surface as well—a virtual who’s who of the American Century, from Eleanor Roosevelt and Amelia Earhart through the Kennedys, Princess Margaret, and the crème de la crème of Hollywood.The life of Gore Vidal was an amazingly full one—full of colorful incident, famous people, and lasting achievements—that calls out for careful evocation and examination. Jay Parini crafts Vidal’s life into an accessible, entertaining story that puts the experience of one of the great American figures of the postwar era into context, introduces the author and his works to a generation who may not know him, and looks behind the scenes at the man and his work in ways never possible before his death. Provided with unique access to Vidal’s life and his papers, he excavates many buried skeletons yet never loses sight of his deep respect for Vidal and his astounding gifts. This is the biography Gore Vidal has long needed.

About Jay Parini

Jay Parini is a poet, novelist, biographer, and critic. His five books of poetry include Anthracite Country and House of Days. He has written eight novels, including Benjamin's Crossing, The Apprentice Lover, and The Last Station. Parini has written biographies of John Steinbeck, Robert Frost, William Faulkner, and, most recently, Gore Vidal. His nonfiction works include Jesus: The Human Face of God, Why Poetry Matters, and Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America.

About John Lescault

Patrick Cullen (a.k.a. John Lescault), a native of Massachusetts, is a graduate of the Catholic University of America. He lives in Washington, DC, where he works in theater.

Reviews

Goodreads review by KOMET on March 31, 2017

During his lifetime, Gore Vidal established a fine reputation as a very versatile, inventive writer. Novels, tele-scripts (in the early days of TV in the 1950s, Vidal made a name for himself as a scriptwriter for many of the live teledramas of the era), movie scripts, plays (one of them, "The Best M......more

Goodreads review by MJ on February 06, 2019

Senryu Review: Bloated windbag or raconteur and searing left critic? You decide.......more

Goodreads review by George on January 23, 2024

I wish a better, less self-conscious, writer had tackled this biography. Parini's lack of insight is just plain annoying. Why describe Paul Newman's attractiveness as his "(vaguely feminine) beauty"? Cannot a person acknowledge the beauty of Paul Newman without adding an unnecessary heterosexual glo......more

Quotes

“A book that has everything: sex and humor, American history, even wisdom. One of the finest biographies of recent years.” Gay Talese, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“His deep knowledge of Vidal makes this book a masterpiece of biography.” Erica Jong, New York Times bestselling author

“The incomparable wit, the literary genius, the dazzling friends, the staggering output, the politics, the sex, the drink, the dreadful mother, and the awful last days—it’s all here. It’s like, for a time, enjoying Gore’s priceless company again. This is as good as biography gets.” Dick Cavett, former talk show host and New York Times bestsellling author

“Parini…pulls no punches in this posthumous biography, admiring Vidal from a distance but scrutinizing him up close…Parini finds the man beneath the accomplishments.” Entertainment Weekly

“Marvelous…A portrait that is both affectionate and balanced.” Economist

“What distinguishes Parini’s account is…its sympathy…Parini doesn’t flinch at the sad spectacle of Vidal’s last years.” New York Times Book Review

“Pulsates with intelligence, scholarship, and heart.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Parini’s access to Vidal and his thoughtful reflections on him establish this as the definitive biography of a major writer.” Publishers Weekly

“Lively and insightful, this book should find favor among lovers of literature and biography. It’s got heart.” Library Journal

“Narrator John Lescault gives an appropriately dry performance of this audiobook…an exemplary entry to the genre of literary biography. Lescault’s narration reflects the temperament and wit of Vidal as well as the academic yet approachable writing of Parini. Listeners familiar with Vidal’s writing and life will enjoy the detailed account found here; listeners new to Vidal will find this a suitable starting point to the life of the man and his work.” AudioFile

Awards

  • Carnegie Medal for Literature
  • Amazon Best Book of the Month
  • New York Times   Bestseller
  • Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books
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