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Lincoln A Novel, by Gore Vidal
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- Sales Rank: #5042726 in Books
- Published on: 1984
- Binding: Paperback
Most helpful customer reviews
132 of 139 people found the following review helpful.
Historical fiction at its very best
By Robert Moore
In the nineteenth century the historical novel enjoyed the highest possible esteem. William Thackery's historical fiction HENRY ESMOND and not VANITY FAIR was regarded by his contemporaries as his finest work, and it was routine for writers like Dickens in A TALE OF TWO CITIES and Tolstoy in WAR AND PEACE to write novels set in a different historical period. In the twentieth century, however, as novelists began more often to fictionalize their own experiences and focus on the psychological make up of their characters and historian forged a more rigorously scientific form of historical research, historical fiction suffered a sharp decrease in critical respect. To be sure, there were exceptions, whether Robert Graves writing about the Roman emperors in I, CLAUDIUS and CLAUDIUS THE GOD or in Patrick O'Brian's superb series of novels about the Royal Navy at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. But these were exceptions and not the rule and even O'Brian garnered less respect than he would have in the 19th century. All of this is to explain why Gore Vidal's superb series of novels that he calls Narratives of Empire have failed to achieve as much acclaim, as they deserve.
LINCOLN is in essence exceptionally accurate history encapsulated in the form of a novel. I have read a spate of books on Lincoln and the Civil War and I was almost never able to fault his scholarship. In a note following the conclusion of the novel he indicates that the manuscript was seen--and corrected--by no less an authority on Lincoln than David Herbert Donald, who is arguably the supreme authority on Lincoln of this age. But accuracy would be an empty thing if the narrative were not enlivened by Vidal's remarkable skills as a writer. He has a fascinating style, moving without transition from a scene with one group of characters at one point of time in one paragraph to another group at another time in the next. The narrative fairly races along.
This is not a novelistic retelling of the entirety of Lincoln's life, but focuses instead exclusively on the period of his presidency. The story begins with Lincoln's arrival in Washington and ends shortly after his assassination. In fact, the subject matter is almost precisely the same as that covered by Doris Kearns Goodwin in her new book TEAM OF RIVALS: THE POLITICAL GENIUS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN. The story Vidal wants to highlight is how Lincoln managed to hold together the Union despite widespread opposition to the War in the North and a cabinet that on the one hand imagined him to be a weak leader whom they could easily control and on the other filled with individuals who possessed presidential aspirations of their own. Interestingly, the two finest demonstrations of Lincoln's leadership skills come not from the work of historians, but by novelists: Vidal here and Shelby Foote in his depiction of Lincoln's extraordinary skills in his three-volume THE CIVIL WAR.
Though he is astonishingly faithful to the historical record, Vidal's greatest achievement is bringing to life in credible fashion a number of remarkable personalities in ways that are consistent with the historical record. In reading about the war, I had of course read about Seward and Chase, but neither truly emerged as vivid personalities before. Perhaps their biographers would disagree with the portraits Vidal paints, but for me whenever I read about either individual in the future, I will almost certainly do so through eyes of Vidal.
We live in an age that is obsessed with the notion of "political bias," an idea whose importance is, I think, outrageously overstated. One either is faithful to the facts or not and your bias might make you lean one way or another, but it won't allow you to distort the facts unless you are being deliberately dishonest (I think of Ann Coulter's almost macabre depiction of Joseph McCarthy in her writing). But given Vidal's well-known adherence to New Deal ideals, a word or two might be in order. I was surprised at how politically evenhanded this book was. In fact, if anything Vidal mutes the widespread belief of more contemporary Civil War historians that the conflict was overwhelmingly about slavery and instead presents the idea that it was more about states's rights (an idea that has been more and more discredited not merely by folks like James McPherson but Southern historians such as Shelby Foote). Actually, this is Vidal's New Deal point of view coming forth, as previous generations sought to not offend Southern politicians by intimating the war was about the admittedly (today, that is) disgusting institution of slavery, which no one would defend, so much as it was about states's rights, which is, while wrong, not so outrageously indefensible. In the New Deal, the Democratic Party functioned as an uneasy coalition of various groups, including labor, Northern progressives, and Southern populists. With the Nixon strategy, the South has split off from the Democratic party (initially over civil rights issues) and those on the left have been more comfortable in speaking of the Civil War and its causes in more historically accurate terms. I am, by the way, a Southerner, even if I today live in the Land of Lincoln, so I see this issues from both sides.
I recommend this novel in the strongest possible terms. It is not just a very fine novel: it is a great way to internalize history in a way that is rarely as possible in a straightforward historical account. Moreover, it is a richly complex Lincoln that is presented here. In contrast to the blandly hagiographic portrait by Carl Sandburg, this is a warts and all version. Lincoln isn't idealized, but is shown with both his virtues and vices, from his astonishing ability to handle people who imagined that they were handling him, to his self-proclaimed ignorance of financial matters. But he is more the admirable for his portrayal as a believable, flesh and blood human being, instead of mere statue.
44 of 50 people found the following review helpful.
The finest political novel by an American writer
By C. Collins
If I could give this book 15 stars, I certainly would. It is the finest political novel by an American writer. It has few rivals, maybe "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God", both by Robert Graves, are as good, but students of history, political science or leadership will find "Lincoln" to be an exception work of literary art.
There are several reasons why I so strongly recommend this book.
First, this novel demonstrates exceptionally well the balance between self interests and loyalty, as exemplified in the Lincoln cabinet. Salmon Chase, the Secretary of the Treasury, and William Seward, the Secretary of State are finely portrayed characters. They both were positioning themselves in the Lincoln presidency to succeed him. This required careful political skills to appear supportive but make every move in regard to self interests. The passages where Lincoln wins over William Seward into a real honest partnership are masterful and my admiration for Seward soared. Salmon Chase on the other hand continues to play a careful game of undermining the President behind his back while playing the loyal servant to his face. The passage where Chase is eventually confronted by Lincoln, who was never fooled in the first place, is a wonderful example of the careful interpersonal chess moves required in political life.
Second, the novel does a wonderful job of demonstrating how difficult it is get someone to follow orders and do the job right. Lincoln remains totally frustrated with his generals, especially the handsome, charming General McClellan, with his own political ambitions. The man refused to engage the enemy. Lincoln eventually fires him and promotes General Grant. Mrs. Lincoln is somewhat scadalized by the Grants, but Lincoln finally has a military genius on his side and Lincoln offers minimal guidance as long as he sees the war turning around due to Grant's initiatives.
Third, the novel does a great job of demonstrating the total hell that Lincoln occupied in the White House. The public came into the public rooms of the White House every morning to try to intercept the President on his way to his office. His wife engaged in questionable kick-back schemes with the White House staff. His older sons went to war and his younger son dies of swamp fever. Mary Lincoln was a burden to the President and her nervous breakdown after the death of their child, Willie, further burdened this exceptional political genius.
Fourth, Lincoln practiced careful adaptive leadership, keeping his cabinet and officers focused on the grim realities they had to face every day without flights of hubris and fancy.
Lincoln held our nation together at its darkest hour. Vidal was able to capture the amazing day to day reality that this feat entailed. Vidal creates a vision of Lincoln that comes to life in this fine novel.
27 of 30 people found the following review helpful.
A Novel of Abraham Lincoln
By Robin Friedman
In his 1984 historical novel "Lincoln", Gore Vidal has written with great insight about our sixteenth president, his cabinet, his family, his enemies, and the Civil War Era. Lengthy though the book is, the writing is crisp and eloquent. It held my attention throughout. The book is part of a series of novels by Vidal exploring the history of the United States.
In writing historical novels, it is difficult to tell where fact ends and fiction begins. This is particularly the case in dealing with a complex figure such as Lincoln whose life and political legacy remain controversial and subject to many interpretations. Controversial matters that Vidal addresses in his novel include Lincoln's attitude towards African-Americans and the Reconstruction policy that Lincoln might have pursued if he had lived. Vidal's book shows careful study of Lincoln's life and the Civil War era. He uses the resources uniquely available to the novelist to good advantage by probing the thought processes and feelings of his characters where historical evidence is lacking. I found the portrait of Lincoln compelling, but it is important to remember that Vidal is writing a novel.
Vidal's book begins as the President-elect arrives secretly in Washington, D.C. a few days before his inaugaration to thwart a feared assassination attempt in Baltimore. In the course of the novel, passages of recollection by various characters, reliable and unreliable, cast some light on Lincoln's earlier life. The book moves carefully and slowly, with a great deal of attention given, and properly so, to the earlier period of Lincoln's presidency. Much attention is given to Washington, D.C. at the outset of Lincoln's administration, to attempts to avert the war, to Lincoln's formation of his cabinet, and to preparing the nation for what proved to be a long bloody struggle. The pace of the book picks up as it proceeds through Lincoln's first term and reelection, the end of the Civil War, and the assassination.
The picture of Abraham Lincoln that emerges from Vidal is of a man of great intellect, ambition and will, determined to save the Union at all costs. Vidal portrays Lincoln's overriding dedication to the Union. In order to preserve the Union, Lincoln uses extraordinary and even ruthless political skills. Thus, Vidal's novel considers extensively Lincoln's relationship with his cabinet. Vidal shows Lincoln choosing a cabinet from among his political rivals for the presidency, as well as from loyalist democrats, in order to be all-inclusive in the war effort. Lincoln deals with uncanny skill with potential rivals for the presidency, especially Secretary of State Seward and Secretary of the Treasury Chase. (A recent historical study, "Team of Rivals" by Doris Goodwin also treats Lincoln's relationship to his cabinet at length.) The book also shows Lincoln dealing with similar finesse and force with the Radical Republicans in Congress, with Chief Justice Taney on the Supreme Court, and with his military leaders.
Vidal tells his story through a variety of perspectives. Most of the time, the viewpoint is that of John Hay, one of Lincoln's two secretaries, who had detailed and close access to Lincoln throughout the presidency. Hay and Lincoln's other secretary, Nicholay, together wrote one of the earliest biographies of Lincoln. Vidal also gives the reader a large portrait of the many southern conspirators against Lincoln. In particular Vidal develops the character of a young man named David Herrold, with uncertain purpose in life, who ultimately becomes part of the Booth conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln. Secretary of the Treasury Salmon Chase and his ambitious daughter Kate also receive a large share of attention in Vidal's novel.
For all the attention lavished on him, Lincoln as a man remains an enigma. Lincoln largely kept his own counsel and was not demonstrative in showing his feelings. Thus fleshing-out Lincoln's character offers the novelist a great deal of latitude, and Vidal makes the most of it. His novel focuses on Lincoln's difficult relationship with his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, as she spends lavishly, engages herself in political intrigue, and descends to near-madness. The Lincolns endured the death of their young son Willie during the presidency. Vidal properly gives substantial attention to Lincoln's religious views, which became increasing theistic with the prolongation of the Civil War, but never Christian.
Although Gore clearly admires Lincoln and his fortitude in saving the Union, he emphasizes that Lincoln's success came at a high price over and above the loss of blood and treasure in a long bitter war. With his suspension of habeas corpus and supression of dissent, Lincoln expanded forever the power of the Presidency. The war effort changed the character of the United States from an agrarian republic to a centralized, industrial nation. At the end of the book, Vidal puts his own misgivings into the words of John Hay, stationed in France after the assassination.. Hay remarks that "Lincoln, in some mysterious fashion, had willed his own murder as a form of atonement for the great and terrible thing that he had done by giving so bloody and absolute a rebirth to his nation." (p. 657)
"Lincoln" is a thoughtful and moving book for those readers wanting to think about the ideals and political processes of the United States and about Lincoln's role in their continuing development.
Robin Friedman
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