“I’m exactly as I appear,” Vidal once said of himself. “There is no warm, lovable person inside. Beneath my cold exterior, once you break the ice, you find cold water.”
Here’s an excerpt from his memoir about the Fifties.
Now this is unfair of me, because the clip is really about Mailer, but this is what I always think of when I think of Vidal:
I remember being fascinated by his TV miniseries on Lincoln back in the 80s, and knowing that he was an author, but I've never read any of his stuff. I really should change that.
RIP.
[1] The book is infinitely better than the miniseries. You must read the book, plus Burr, both of them are real page-turners and a satisfying blend of history and fiction. I've read both about a dozen times and I still get emotionally involved when I read them; in fact, I was about to dig them up and read them again just a few days ago. Mind you, they are big books, but not at all intimidating or boring. Read them, Shaun. Hollywood never could get him right...
What a loss, but one I was actually kind of prepared for.
[2] Your word is more than enough to convince me, Chyll. I'm pretty sure my folks still have the miniseries on VHS tapes somewhere . . .
You can stream it on Netflix or download from YouTube (for a nominal fee), but to me it's missing the depth and breadth of his story and the telling of it, which is essential. Read the book and find out about the world that you've missed.