The Judgement of Paris, revised and abridged by the author

by Gore Vidal

"The author of Myra Breckinridge chronicles the irreverent odyssey of a young American in Europe's pleasure playgrounds, and his seduction by three erotic women of an older, more pagan world." -- Back cover.

Genres: Fiction, American, Novels, Americana, Classics, Modern

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Works of American writer Eugene Luther Gore Vidal, noted for his cynical humor and his numerous accounts of society in decline, include the play The Best Man (1960) and the novel Myra Breckinridge (1968) .

People know his essays, screenplays, and Broadway.
They also knew his patrician manner, transatlantic accent, and witty aphorisms. Vidal came from a distinguished political lineage; his grandfather was the senator Thomas Gore, and he later became a relation (through marriage) to Jacqueline Kennedy.

Vidal, a longtime political critic, ran twice for political office. He was a lifelong isolationist Democrat. The Nation, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The New York Review of Books, and Esquire published his essays.

Essays and media appearances long criticized foreign policy. In addition, he from the 1980s onwards characterized the United States as a decaying empire. Additionally, he was known for his well publicized spats with such figures as Norman Mailer, William F. Buckley, Jr., and Truman Capote.

They fell into distinct social and historical camps. Alongside his social, his best known historical include Julian, Burr, and Lincoln. His third novel, The City and the Pillar (1948), outraged conservative critics as the first major feature of unambiguous homosexuality.

At the time of his death he was the last of a generation of American writers who had served during World War II, including J.D. Salinger, Kurt Vonnegut, Norman Mailer and Joseph Heller. Perhaps best remembered for his caustic wit, he referred to himself as a "gentleman bitch" and has been described as the 20th century's answer to Oscar Wilde

Also used the pseudonym Edgar Box.

+++++++++++++++++++++++
Gore Vidal é um dos nomes centrais na história da literatura americana pós-Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Nascido em 1925, em Nova Iorque, estudou na Academia de Phillips Exeter (Estado de New Hampshire). O seu primeiro romance, Williwaw (1946), era uma história da guerra claramente influenciada pelo estilo de Hemingway. Embora grande parte da sua obra tenha a ver com o século XX americano, Vidal debruçou-se várias vezes sobre épocas recuadas, como, por exemplo, em A Search for the King (1950), Juliano (1964) e Creation (1981).

Entre os seus temas de eleição está o mundo do cinema e, mais concretamente, os bastidores de Hollywood, que ele desmonta de forma satírica e implacável em títulos como Myra Breckinridge (1968), Myron (1975) e Duluth (1983).

Senhor de um estilo exuberante, multifacetado e sempre surpreendente, publicou, em 1995, a autobiografia Palimpsest: A Memoir. As obras 'O Instituto Smithsonian' e 'A Idade do Ouro' encontram-se traduzidas em português.

Neto do senador Thomas Gore, enteado do padrasto de Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, primo distante de Al Gore, Gore Vidal sempre se revelou um espelho crítico das grandezas e misérias dos EUA.

Faleceu a 31 de julho de 2012, aos 86 anos, na sua casa em Hollywood, vítima de pneumonia.

Reviews

[Vit Babenco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who will eat an apple?
What will one choose: power, knowledge or love? Similar to the ancient legend, before the hero of the novel there are three women each symbolizing one of these three aspects of existence.
But the place is Europe and the time is the middle of the twentieth century and the entourage of the novel is picturesque.

…for an instant Philip had a glimpse of another Regina, one like her name, cold, unfeeling, indifferent to everything but power and its impersonal logic…

Doesn’t Regina mean ‘queen’? And power is always cold and often inhuman.
Then there is a turn of Sophia. Doesn’t Sophia mean ‘wisdom’?

Philip, though he liked her, found her positive assertions a little trying; she advanced every opinion as a fact of nature.

Isn’t wisdom so often too self-assured? And sometimes it even is capable to bring unhappiness…
“For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.” Ecclesiastes 1:18
Then what is left? Sure, there still is love…

Now, part of the pleasure one gets from reading novels is the inevitable moment when the hero beds the heroine… there is something remarkably exciting about the sex lives of fictional characters…

One must always make a choice… And the smart ones always choose a little bit of everything…

[MJ Nicholls · Rating 3 out of 5]

Titled after one of those devilishly entertaining tales from Greek myth (which all erudite authors must refer to in their novels if they ever want to make it big—no shirking now!), Gore Vidal’s seventh novel (written aged 27!) makes things happen in Rome, Cairo and Paris. Indecisive aesthete (and lawyer) Philip bumbles around the landmarks, shacking up with senators’ wives and expat British homosexuals with a penchant for cute Italian kids in saunas. As the narrative progresses, Philip has to decide which attractive wealthy married woman to turn down. All in all: a rambling travelogue of upper class life with some delightful comic episodes—notably the Nabokovian tale of a crime writer who fails to help a depressed fatso commit suicide. As a novel it lacks cohesion or purpose, prone to long monologues and rather dreary descriptions. One extremely self-conscious sex scene stands out, where Gore spends two or three pages bemoaning the fact sex in novels is never remotely realistic, then goes on to offer us various unrealistic sex scenes anyway. A flamboyant, careless piece of work, completely ignorable.

[Marc Weitz · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book starts out well but grows tiresome. It’s a novel about young man in his twenties named Phillip Warren. Originally he’s from New York State and looking to travel around post-war Europe for a year. He does the usual fun stuff: meets girls, drinks wine, eats good food, explores pretty places, and meets some interesting characters. The book begins in Italy where he runs into the wife of a politician from back home and has an affair with her, and then meets some odd older men who have nothing better to do than to try to restore the Italian King and go to bed with young men. They try to recruit Phillip to do both. He chooses to help restore the Italian King out of curiosity but decides to stick to girls on the other front.

The story moves on to Egypt where he meets another nice girl; an ill man bent on committing suicide but is unable; and a mystery writer, a rival to Agatha Christie and who wishes to help the ill man commit suicide for the sake of her stories.

The story ends in Paris where it all comes together. I won’t say how, since that would include spoilers. (If you can even tolerate to get this far into the book)

The story becomes more and more ridiculous. The dialogue sounds phony, and the eccentric characters become less believable. I had a really hard time finishing this. I got through the first 290 pages quickly but found it hard to finish the last 50. I just didn’t care, but the book sat on my floor making me feel guilty about not finishing till finally I forced myself.

[Gene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was actually pretty proud of myself, reading a Gore Vidal novel. Okay, sadly, it's because Brian Griffin from the Family Guy is a fan of Gore Vidal. But whatever, I was sort of holding it up on the subway, trying to impress this rather striking girl with red bouncy hair who works as an editor at a different publishing company, with the sophistication of my reading material. Then I came upon a disturbing, questionable passage, followed by a whole deluge of others, which, uh, I don't really feel comfortable talking about. I'm now hoping she had no idea who Gore Vidal is, or what this novel is about. Question is: why was Tropic of Cancer banned, and this book not so much (or was it)? Anyway, the plot is sketchy: a man of means goes to Europe (bad sign, sounds like that idiot Strether is tracking down in the unbearable The Ambassadors) and meets some eccentrics who are trying to rehabilitate the Savoy crown or something, then he goes to Egypt, or France, or both, then the book ends with him finishing his year. The Grand Tour isn't quite as interesting when you're pretty sure you're not about to take one (reading this, again, on the utterly depressing 43 Kennedy bus). The conceit throughout may have been to equate America with the Roman empires, but I was distracted by the, uh, Grove Press material.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly, Vidal's writing style is that of a surreal modernist pop-culture author. Although his book contains a lot of philosophical and moral quandaries and at times is written in beautiful prose, I do not like how he interjects himself and the book as a whole is way too disjointed for me. The book seems to me like a rough draft of a story that was never edited to make sure it is coherent. It seems to me this book is a cross between a Milan Kundera philosophical book and a weird Chuck Pahaniuk. The paradox that is this book is as a whole it has an incoherent storyline punctuated, at times, with beautiful prose and profound philosophies. Perhaps, the book is mirroring the main character, Philip, who seems to me lost and fractured in his personality though constant in his non-committal attitude toward any meaning in his life. Thus, as a whole I give this book 2 but the fact there is a lot of interesting ideas as well as some occasional great prose that I really like, I will give this book a 3.

Also Philip the main character seems feckless and generally a man without direction. He seems to me a selfish man without direction and thus lives his life without meaning. The character himself never grows.

In one of his rantings, he talks about the irony of dogma. That is, dogma is there because it creates rules and laws necessary for civilization but at the same time too much of it oppresses individual expression. But, the occasional wonderful prose and the Dan Brown like intrigue saves the book for me. The book occurs in the advent of the cold war right after WWII in which it seems the world is engulfed in a succession of never ending wars. The way Philip seems to be dealing with this fact is to live his life in the present by traveling instead of trying to influence affairs for a future that my never come.

Also, Vidal's ideas seems to be a harbinger of women's sexual revolution. That is, women have as a right as men in having infidelities. This can be seen in Regina as well as Anne Morris case in which they both actively seek male lovers outside their marriage. Whereas in Regina case it seems it is a tacit agreement between her and her husband that they can have extramarital affairs, it is not clear whether Mr Morris approves of Anne's infidelities.

Section 1:

Vidal writes of a recent 28 year old graduate from Harvard law school from a prominent American family trying to find himself in Italy.

While there he meets an American family acquaintance who encourages him to go into politics in order to make a difference in the world. At that point in time, it still seems that government was a way in which one can make a positive difference. But at the same time, Philip being from a prominent family feels government intrusion acutely. His view of government is very Orwellian that is he view the general trend in the US toward big government and limitation of his particular class as well as all American's individuality. It is interesting that the acquaintance introduces him to the party boss of his district who also happens to be the Congressman. Although in principle, I like the idea that the majority of the party faithful decide who its leaders are, in practice I do not know if it is any better than the party system. But, I guess in a democracy, an organized special interest minority will always reign, it just depends on what the special interest is. One suspects that the party boss is Republican. It is interesting that even back then 50's the Republican party was facing the dilemma of wanting to limit taxation and big government but not being able to due to entitlement programs and the military. Although in the 50's it would have seem that one could afford to spend because the US had a surplus, now a days the US has become a debtor country and something needs to be done to the "fix cost" of the US spending which takes up a larger and larger amount of our budget and sends us into a deficit instead of the token cost-cutting measures that Republican's currently favor.

Regina seems to be pushing Philip towards politics but not for his own good or the good of others but because she loves power. During their brief affair, her calculated strategic self showed through her effusive seemingly selfless push for Philip to enter politics

I think this section shows to be a good politician one cannot show ones hand to early, that one needs to be constant rather than take "activist" sides on an issue. The absurdity of such activist movements that seems to change with the wind is shown through the crazy Lord Gellendhal involvement first with pro Italian monarchist movement and later with the communist movement. Just like any movement, it seems that Lord Gellendhal switching sides is transitory like th wind.

Although I understand that this is a fictional account, his affair with the Congressman's wife Regina proves again why abstinence only education is not the way to go because even in puritanical 50's sex was ever present to pretend other wise is ridiculous and physically dangerous. I do enjoy Philip's quote in his ardorous sexual afterglow, "He looked at her with interest and pleasure, relieved in a way that the novelty was gone and that he could regard her without the distorting of perspective which his initial lust inevitably performed on any immediate object, beloved or not. So now what he saw he liked dispassionately and he could, he knew , in time and if all went well, love or at least grow accustomed to he in such a way he might think himself in love.... Thus did he believe love would come, quickly, suddenly, utterly transforming some stranger into a creature as desirable and as a unique as those goddesses who, in ancient days, would love of a mortal become temporary exiles from the heroic beds of heaven." I really enjoy their relationship together in that it focuses on the present instead of some distant future.

I like Vidal's quote on art, "... it is confusion, the passionate confusion which produces art and, more important to you and me, produces the high experience in a life." Is this true? Does passionate confusion produce the best experience in life? Or is it more the abandoned passion and not the confusion that produces the best experience in life?

Also, the first strain of agnosticism and atheism in a novel seems to be in this book. I guess new ideas really does start with "elite". In the book, Philip and Regina are talking about how worship of gods are really constant and the only thing that changes is its form. They also discredit any messianic revolutionary who try to changes society fit his own conception of perfection in favor of one that favors the "facts" of nature or natural order. Perhaps, this is the reason Regina is so intent on keeping power instead of focusing on political principle because in her mind that is the only thing that is a "fact", and thus everlasting.


Section 2:

Philip meets Sophia who has means an is interested only in the search of knowledge instead money and power because it is the only thing that last forever. Sophia is the prototypical academic who enjoys the idea of man because she thinks it is man distilled to his purest form. Now I understand the seemingly discord between an academic who is in love with the idea of man but not necessarily man himself. I think this explains why people who theorize about empathy do not have empathy themselves because they just like to think about it but not actually practice it. I also think this is where the disconnect between your common American man is and "academic elites" because "academic elites" solve problems to the ideal and not the practical. I think to certain extent this is the reason Ms Peabody who does all this research fails to kill Mr. Willis because she never thought about the unplanned effects to her "perfect murder." Just like in this story, life has a lot of unintended scenerio's that plays out that a nice theory does not fit.

Philip and Sophia seem to not like messianic mystics who try to change the social order to fit their conception of what is right. They place Lenin, Stalin, Marx, and Jesus in this category. This is very libertarian view in rejecting an enforced movement from becoming institutionalized. I think what Philip/Sophia are against is the institutionalization of these movements that forces individuals to conform instead of the movements themselves. I think this the reason why Philip is against government and to a certain extent organized religion because of perceived compulsory structure that it imposes, especially in the 50's in which Christianity in America was omnipotent. Sophia also believes in living in the present and askewing the future that may never come.

Philip also comes across a man who is suicidal who wants to die because of the futility of his obese condition. Since he is too chicken to do it himself, he enlists help first from Philip and then from Mrs. Peabody. Here Vidal asks whether euthanasia or assisted suicide is ever good? Mrs Peabody being a murder-mystery author wants to help Mr. Willy's kill himself because to him his life seems pointless. Also, as an author/researcher she want to experience the act of murder by someone who has consented to being murdered. Ironically, despite being a murder-mystery author, her attempts at Mr. Willy's life failed in favor of nature inducing heart attack. Although I do empathize with Mr. Willy's dilemma considering my life altering affliction, I do not think it is ever okay to have euthanasia or suicide.

Does one who knows of euthanasia attempt let say in a terminally ill patient with a slow decline a la Parkinson's Disease have a moral obligation to tell someone of the attempt? This question is a little harder to answer. But if someone who knows about the mercy killing does not tell the authorities, should he be tried as an accomplice to murder? These are harder questions to answer and not as straight forward as thee first.

Sophia actually believes suicide as a means to have the spirit control the body. Her belief is since the spirit is the only thing eternal about us, if the body fails the spirit, the body should just be gotten rid of. But although her view may have religious connotations, the way she explains it tends to be more scientific a la E=mc2. That is, once our matter or body decays, our energy or life force is eternal. This view is in direct opposition to Philip that the body is just a window dressing to nothing and thus he wants to feel the effects of the body as long as he can.

Section 3 is by far his best section philosophically and and prose-wise.
From his condemnation of meaningless rituals of organized religion to his to his first true love affair that gave him the proto-type of future love affairs to his comments on the seemingly ubiquitousness of homosexuality to foreshadowing the eminent sexual revolution of the 60's to the question of state vs. individuality, Vidal section three packs all these important questions in this section.

I like the fact that although Philip is unromantic, he finds the ultimate type of woman that he wants to be with in the end to share his life with. I think his realization of what he want in a partner (Anna) and living in the present instead of scheming toward the future (Regina) is the best example of true inherent wisdom one can only learn through experience.

[Justin Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Judgment of Paris (1952) is one of the most interesting, ambitious, and thematic novels of Gore Vidal’s early period. Philip Warren, a recent law-school grad who is taking a year to explore the world and discover himself. Through his interactions with three women, who represent power, knowledge, and love, respectively, he learns more about himself and what he truly wants out of his life. Along the way, he also encounters a zany cast of characters, from a Agatha-Christie rip-off novelist and a suicidal obese man to the head of a political cult and a debutante in search of a good time. All of these rich experiences show Warren the primacy of love and how its absence makes knowledge or power feel hollow.

On reflection, Vidal considered The Judgement of Paris the novel where he found his voice and style, and I agree. Gone are the clipped sentences of Williwaw (1946) and the straight-forward themes of In a Yellow Wood (1947); with Judgement, he lets his style breathe and his philosophical musings appear more pronounced. Like many of his later novels, he breaks the fourth wall with the reader and changes narrative perspective at times. Vidal is not afraid to move the reader in unexpected directions. The characters are lively, thoughtful, and often comically tragic, especially the character of Mr. Willys, whose own adipose tissue-addled existence provides the second act with its narrative thrust. Vidal is also grappling with the subject of religion in this novel, something he would address again in his masterwork, Messiah (1954). Vidal anticipates our secular age and how its own conceptions of the good life and the good society are often at odds with ancient creeds, and how this conflict will shape our lives— for better or worse. Of all of his novels, the Judgement of Paris is one of the essential volumes, full of wit, biting social commentary, and philosophical heft. It is a must-read in the corpus of his fiction.

[James Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young 28-year old man takes a year off from his life in America to tour Europe and Egypt. Along the way he meets a number of forgettable characters and has a number of dalliances with women. All the while rebuffing the advances of men, young and old, whom he encounters and whom almost always find him enticing. Among these adventures he seems to progress not a bit, claiming boredom near the end of his story.

The narrative is told in the third person and not infrequently the author steps in to comment on what is happening or what is about to -- thus giving the reader a taste of metafiction but with a voice that never approaches that of the masters of authorial commentary like Thomas Mann. The story is filled with implicit literary and classical references early on while the classical references become explicit by the final part of this three part novel.

[(TraParentesi) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Potere, Sapere, Bellezza: tre donne ne sono ciascuna la prosopopea con cui un novello Paride, durante un suo anno sabbatico - rispettivamente a Roma, in Egitto e a Parigi - s'intrattiene. Chi sceglierà?
(Un romanzo elegante, licenzioso, ironico, dotto, filosofico, settecentesco).

[Julian · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, found this one really random at times. But I was rooting for him … not quite sure to what end (for him that is). There’s some magic in this writing, especially the end, it was confusing and weirdly sad.

[terrycojones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been reading occasional early Gore Vidal novels. They're never anything like as wonderful as his essays, but they're entertaining and sometimes pretty good. The Judgement of Paris isn't strong overall but it's a fun and easy read (I read the whole thing on 2 plane trips).

As usual, GV has a keen eye for the decadent and corrupt and much of the action revolves around gay (male) sex, though the protagonist is ostensibly straight. There are nice reflections on love and meaning, some comic scenes, good Europe after the war decadence, and some oddness that probably goes a touch too far.

It's good reading for a GV fan, but not as good as Williwaw, The City & The Pillar, or The Messiah. But much better than Dark Green, Bright Red.

I can't believe I'm writing mini book reviews.

[Christin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why do I keep getting the ONE book by a famous gay author without any man-love in it? WHY? POR QUE?!

I blame Half Price Books in Houston for misleading me and shelving this incorrectly.

Now that I've had about a week to cool off, it wasn't that bad. I didn't really like the main character but then again, Homeric Paris was a little shit too so that may be intentional.

I think this is the literary equivalent of Lost In Translation. Someone goes somewhere far away from home, they look at things, they meet people, they do stuff. It's all sorta vague and rolls off their back like water off a duck. In the end they make a minor life adjustment. I still don't know why I should care.

[Ward Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think of what a different person I would have been if I had been reading great books including this one instead of Tarzan novels. I spent too much of my youth reading Edgar Rice Burroughs and collecting comic books. I actually collected more than I read. Reading. Really reading makes all the difference. Of course, I don't regret my life but if someone else can benefit from the lessons I've learned then that would be awesome. My children are my best hope.

[Valerie · Rating 1 out of 5]

oh my god. i stopped on page 49. this is one of those horrible, pompous, dated books that everyone claims is a classic, but I've hit the first "love scene": anytime the author breathlessly announces sex as "the ultimate moment. the splendid act", you know you're in trouble.

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

If stories of young American protagonists idling around postwar Europe can be considered as their own literary sub-genre, Maugham, Hemingway, and I'm sure lots of other authors have done a much better job creating interesting characters and stories on the topic.

[Lysergius · Rating 4 out of 5]

An American "Bildungsroman" describing the European tour of a young American war veteran and lawyer with a great political career ahead of him who plunges into European decadence with gusto. Great fun.

[DoctorM · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first Vidal I read, a yellowed paperback acquired in a used bookstore in New Orleans back in my Lost Youth. Not bad at all--- a rather nice post-WW2 expat novel with lovely waspish touches.

[Kevin Tole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've had periods when I love Vidal's writing and periods when I detest it. There's no logic to it. And periods when I've read a book of his, slated it, then re-read it later and seen that it was far better than I originally thought. Not having picked up anything by him for a while I thought I'd give it a whirl again.

I shouldn't have bothered and two nights of reading saw it on the trash pile unfinished. This was written in 1952 and in his intro Vidal states that it was a breakthrough novel for him and a change in style. He was already a known punter by that time.

Philip Waren, American, 28, recently graduated from Law School, tried it all and given it up. Now he's taken a year out to travel in Europe. We're not talking the backpack, gap year generation here. Too many of them in the contemporary fiction racks - or there were. The prose is typical Vidal; smart, wordy, somewhat camp, somewhat intellectual, smartarse, overwordy, prurient. Warren travels to Rome; meets an older Englishman who introduces him to the 'set'. This is a moneyed society, class snobbery. We learn Warren is handsome, successful outwardly, attractive to women who he has little trouble bedding, attractive to homosexuals, active, fit, bit of a flaneur, pretensions to being an arty without being an artist. It is Vidal's voice commentating, the author's view, the author recounting. Hints of illicit frissons - sensual, sexual, intellectual.

And that's how it feels. Preppy, Ivy League, white, New England, privileged.

Shirt, suit, shoes. I want to look nice.

Cybarites all of them. Some are homosexual. Some are not. All of them are on the lam. Its class structure on extended holiday in some place not home. One can only be acceptable by being white and at least upper middle class, intellectual and 'arty'. Warren is a naive ingenue in this group which does accept outsiders if they have something to offer; pimp, artist, money lauderer, adventurer, socialite, sensualist, dealer, beautiful, available fuck. It's a very 'American' novel and in the opening quite lacking in humour which might set off the po-faced cheesiness of it all.

He meets the President's adviser's wife. There is an affair. She is 35. He is 28. Vidal's descriptions of the sex scenes are sterile if febrile, probably shocking for the time, but for all of it they are dull. Of course they are normal - how could they not be. This is uber-WASP territory.

It stutters along like this as if determined to be the new Ruskin and missing but desperately trying to emulate the poetic and beutiful with all the references thrown in. It doesn't work and we become faintly bored as most of the cast of characters appear to be, such that you end up skipping lines /paragraphs / pages. It is the way Gore PONTIFICATES to his readers. The Gospel according to St Gore. is he challenging the pre-set prurience of the time? The insistent need to proselyte. Or rather Vidal's insistent need to hector and lecture. It's as if Vidal is saying 'I'm the only fully affirmed and practising liberal in the room. The rest of you are all zealots and bombasts.', when in fact, Gore, it's the other way round. It is you that is the prurient obsessive. 98 pages. I managed a further 20 and that was it. This kind of schmaltz is now available 24/7 on ersatz celeb TV.

Back on the second hand sites.

[Dave Appleby · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rich, good-looking young American boy spends a year in Italy, Egypt and France, mingling with the cream of decadent society. He encounters three women: Regina (Latin for Queen, standing in for the Queen of Olympus) who tempts him with thoughts of political power, Sophie (Greek for Wisdom) who is into amateur archaeology and, from her name alone, tempts him with wisdom, and Anna who is very lovely. Guess who he chooses! In Paris! This concept reminded me very much of a chapter ('The Judgement of Bally') in my novel Bally and Bro in which my (poor, good-looking) eponymous hero has to choose between June (aka Juno) who offers him riches, Sophie who offers to teach him, and lovely Helen who offers him a shag. Guess who he chooses!

Young Philip spends most of his time at parties being wooed by both men (Europe appears to be crammed with homosexuals) and women. Some of the happenings are weird, such as the enormously obese man who wants to die and the detective novelist who agrees to try and murder him, and the English/ Welsh Lord (there seems to be some confusion here) who enlists Philip in a conspiracy to restore the royal house of Savoy to the Italian throne, and later tries to enlist him in a quasi-religious cult worshipping a hermaphrodite. It's not just funny peculiar, there are also a few funny haha moments. But all this fun isn't enough to leaven the dough of politics and philosophy and posturing in Philip's endless discussions with his playmates. There were more than a few bits I scan-read; towards the end I skipped whole paragraphs.

The trouble is that Vidal is extraordinarily learned and he doesn't want to waste any opportunities to demonstrate his learning: "The perfect pearl of the Renaissance was misshapen by a rigid manner and the baroque was born of that tension between nature and artifice. Philip wondered if he would have the opportunity to tell Mr Norman that the word baroquie came from the Spanish word barocco which meant a misshapen pearl." (Ch 1) Philip never gets the chance ... but Vidal won't waste it.

It is conventionally written in the third person past tense; there are moments when the author's own voice intrudes, such as: "Part of the pleasure one gets from reading novels is the inevitable moment when the hero beds the heroine or, in certain advanced and decadent works, the hero beds another hero in an infernal glow of impropriety." (Ch 3)

I've read and adored a number of Gore Vidal novels. I love his historical novels: the series starting Burr and continuing with Lincoln, Empire and Washington DC. His Roman novel Julian is also great. I have been less impressed by The City and the Pillar and Myra Breckinridge, and the apocalyptic Kalki has moments of great silliness. But this is my least favourite. Boring and pompous.

[David Haws · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much of a plot, and the prose could feel unnecessarily attenuated (e.g., p. 338) but perhaps this was an over-correction from his earliest narratives. Worse, Vidal seemed to give up toward the end, crumpling Regina (“I can only act through the man…live only through him,” p. 368) who had, earlier, shown such promise. In fact, Regina was reminding a little of Caroline from his later Narratives of Empire series, but the characterization was weakened by the similarities between Regina, Sophia, and Anna. I did like the re-introduction of Charles De Cluny from an earlier novel, but thought that it might have been handled more deftly. In fact the characterizations are the novel’s strength, especially the questionably proficient Mrs. Peabody (“'I like Agathe Christie,' said Philip innocently. The storm broke. Mrs. Christie was flayed before their eyes, and her corpse, like Hector’s pulled after Mrs. Peabody’s triumphal car from one end of publishers’ row to the other” p. 180). I also liked the discussion on page 310 concerning the Romantic notion of “knowing” something exclusively within the Affective Domain.

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traipsing around Europe and Asia in search of meaning & purpose in life is a familiar journey for fictional characters.
The roads less traveled & the ability to gain distance from American traps is a way to alter destiny & seek out experiences that elude us at home.
In this hard to find novel from 1952, Gore Vidal takes the classical Greek story of Paris & repurposes here for a new character who I think we’re supposed to assume is loosely based on himself.
Philip Warren comes from wealth & privilege and ventures abroad to avoid a life of trudgery that his family & wealth have bestowed upon him.
Once there, Philip stops over in Rome, Cairo & Paris where he encounters a cross section of Americans who each tempt him with sex into pursuing a path that’s not his own.
Philip ignores the temptations of the 3 women but is plagued by doubt throughout…about his choices, his future & the type of pleasures he can allow himself.

[DB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humorous eccentricity colors this novel and helps to make many of the characters jump from the page. In terms of plot and overall theme, the novel covers the oft told journey of a young man's growth and intellectual development; but, through the use of interesting accessory characters and exotic settings make this novel both an interesting and entertaining read. Vidal can be somewhat esoteric at certain points as he pontificates on the meaning of love and the challenges of modern society. Nevertheless, I found the novel to be an engaging read and actually laughed at various points during my reading. It was a book I very much enjoyed and would highly suggest.

[Dakota]

Picked this up because it was handy and I'd never read Vidal. A pleasant enough read, and some thoughtful dialogue. Unsure how much of a commentary or statement it is supposed to be, Philip rejects the extreme sensualality (and absurdity) he encounters but ultimately ends up pursuing a more "mainline" form of love and pleasure. Anna, Sophie, and Regina all are arguing for different directions, but it is ultimately unclear what Sophie's alternative is. I did like the style.

[Edie Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gore imaginatively updates the mythical story of Paris and the three goddesses.

Phillip Warren, a young American touring Italy, Egypt and Paris for a year. meets many extraordinary characters along the way. Among these are three notable women—a sharp one with a politically connected husband, an extremely smart one and an unusually beautiful one. Who shall he choose?

Much is it is farce and very entertaining. However, at times the periodic philosophizing weighed things down.

Although I liked most of the ending, the conclusion disappointed me. I nevertheless enjoyed my reading.

[Nick Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gem of a novel. Young Vidal has a real bravado here, with some magnificent passages and turns of phrase. The modern retelling of the classical myth is faithful without being obsequious. Highly recommended for any Vidal fan.

[Raoul W · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story of a young American law student, recently graduated, spending a year in Europe to travel and figure out what he wants to do next with his life; encounters a host of peculiar characters, has some fun conversations, and contemplates life and relationships...

[Christie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I struggled through 2/3s of this 1952 novel and finally just left it on my "Couldn't finish" shelf. The only thing I can think of that made this so popular is how scandalous it must have been for the "proper '50s." What a waste of my time....

[H. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Like being cornered by the most boring person at a party, where you’re only able to catch snippets of the more intriguing conversations.

[eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘“I am not an artist,” he murmured to himself with some satisfaction, putting the paper back into his suitcase and ending forever a never too urgent dream of creativity.’ (10)

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

people (this guy) going to each others houses (hotels)

[Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not one of Vidal's strongest works. The humor is wry and only hits the target half of the time and the main character can be shallow at times. However, what is built up throughout the entire novel is enchantingly concluded during the last chapter of the novel.