Political Animal

The late Gore Vidal occupied a unique position within American letters. Born into a political family, he ran for office several times, but was consistently critical of his nations political system and its leaders. A prolific writer in several genres, he was also widely known -- particularly in the United States -- on the basis of his frequent appearances in the various electronic media. In this ground-breaking work, Heather Neilson examines the centrality of the theme of power throughout his writings. Political Animal: Gore Vidal on Power focuses primarily, although not exclusively, on Vidal's historical fiction. In his novels depicting American history and those set in the ancient world, Vidal evokes a world in which deliberately propagated falsehood disinformation can become established as truth. Neilson engages with Vidal's representations of political and religious leaders, and with his deeply ambivalent fascination with the increasingly inescapable influence of the media. She asserts that Vidal's oeuvre has a Shakespearean resonance in its persistent obsession with the question of what constitutes legitimate power and authority.

“Heather Neilson is one of the most gifted, cleareyed readers of Gore Vidal that we have. She reads not only the sentences but sees through them, ushering us gently toward a fresh understanding of this controversial, often misunderstood writer. -- Jay Parini, D.E. Axinn Professor of English and Creative Writing, Middlebury College”

Heather Neilson is one of the most gifted, cleareyed readers of Gore Vidal that we have. She reads not only the sentences but sees through them, ushering us gently toward a fresh understanding of this controversial, often misunderstood writer.

-- Jay Parini

The most significant monograph on Vidal’s archive of political and historical writing.

-- Donald E. Pease Jnr

Heather Neilson holds a Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of Oxford for a dissertation on the subject of the uses of history in Gore Vidal’s fiction. She has been a coeditor of the Australasian Journal of American Studies, and president of the Australian and New Zealand American Studies Association. She has previously taught at the University of Melbourne, the University of Sydney and the University of Western Australia. Dr Neilson is a Senior Lecturer in English at the University of New South Wales, Canberra campus.

The late Gore Vidal occupied a unique position within American letters. Born into a political family, he ran for office several times, but was consistently critical of his nations political system and its leaders. A prolific writer in several genres, he was also widely known -- particularly in the United States -- on the basis of his frequent appearances in the various electronic media. In this ground-breaking work, Heather Neilson examines the centrality of the theme of power throughout his writings. Political Animal: Gore Vidal on Power focuses primarily, although not exclusively, on Vidal's historical fiction. In his novels depicting American history and those set in the ancient world, Vidal evokes a world in which deliberately propagated falsehood disinformation can become established as truth. Neilson engages with Vidal's representations of political and religious leaders, and with his deeply ambivalent fascination with the increasingly inescapable influence of the media. She asserts that Vidal's oeuvre has a Shakespearean resonance in its persistent obsession with the question of what constitutes legitimate power and authority.

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