Review Summaries

• Readers appreciate its sharp character work and its appeal as a political drama grounded in history. Many are drawn to the way it unsettles familiar interpretations of the past.

Reviews

• Just a fantastic read and a fascinating story.

• Sehr gut

• Vidal's portrayal of Aaron Burr was extensively researched over about a decade and gives a very different picture of a man condemned in his time and by history for killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel in a secluded spot in Jersey; duelling was illegal at the time. A statue of Hamilton was erected on the spot and he was basically canonized while Burr was vilified although it was a fair duel and fought over a serious outrage. The story of Burr is being told by a young law clerk, one Charles Schuyler, in the offices of Burr & Sill beginning in the year 1833 as Burr, age 77, was about to embark on a second marriage. Schuyler tells the events himself from this point on but engages Burr in his reminiscences of past adventures in the Continental army, legal battles, his love life, politics, land speculations, his time as Jefferson's vice-president and, of course, his infamous duel with Hamilton. Surprisingly, Burr appears to have no rancour toward those who have thwarted his ambitions, slandered him, or rose above him through infamy but gives a straightforward, witty retelling of events with great aplomb and often nostalgia. Certainly, he lived in exciting times and knew all the major players of the founding of the United States of America. Burr's (or Vidal's) views on John Adams, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson are quite different than what are those commonly held. Certainly, Burr, in this instance, is seen to esteem his nemesis Hamilton higher than those generally considered the great founding fathers. While it took me longer than usual to digest this book, I think that was more due to lack of reading time rather than it being hard to get through. Schuyler's activities as a potential contributor to various magazines and pamphlets and his attempt to draw information from Burr in order to establish a parental connection between Burr and future president Martin Van Buren contribute greatly to the colour of the times and the events are well told and not difficult to follow. This is the first of a 7-volume series, Narratives of Empire that covers from 1771 - the early 1950s, but it's a great place to start especially if you've seen Hamilton. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

• El libro está en ingles pero es perfecto

• Em Burr, Gore Vidal descreve, com riqueza de detalhes, os últimos anos da vida do Coronel Aaron Burr, terceiro vice-presidente norte-americano, herói da guerra de independência contra o Império britânico, cuja trajetória controversa suscita desprezo de boa parte da comunidade política americana. Herói ou traidor? Estamos diante de um trabalho de pesquisa histórica fiel aos acontecimentos que pontuaram a vida pessoal e política de um dos maiores republicanos no tecido político norte-americano, além de um poder de absoluto controle de recursos literários, típicos de um dos mais brilhantes romancistas da América do século XX. A humanidade, em sua virtude e em seus delitos, exposta de maneira contundente, certeira e pungente, através do olhar crítico do genial Gore Vidal.

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