I read a version printed in 1961, which is significant only in that the copyright page states that the author made minor edits to two pages. There is no explanation. While it doesn’t seem likely that a slight altering of two pages would change the story, I thought I’d highlight the fact that my review is based on a more current edition.
While the novel broke ground concerning a subject that was taboo and paved the way for future authors of gay fiction, the story is not well-developed. It doesn’t flow. It starts, stops and stutters like a scratched CD (or record, if you are of the generations that remember record players).
I had trouble sympathizing with the main character, Jim Willard. His personality seemed flat, which may have been a statement in and of itself, except that all the characters lacked dimension.
It may have been the case that Vidal was taking care not to pass judgment. But the ending required the kind of anger that borders on madness. While Willard may well have been mad, his reticent personality showed no evidence of it. Rather, he exhibited a sudden eruption of anger that left me unconvinced.
But I’m judging the novel from a distance of 60 years. Attitudes have changed, although room for improvement certainly exists. As time marches on, it becomes increasingly difficult to appreciate the remarkable courage it took to write and publish such a book. Thus, I recommend it to all as a reminder of what was at a time that really isn’t all that far into the past. Rating: Good.
While I used to devour mysteries as if they were a source of life’s sustenance, I have not read more than a few over the past couple of years. They became too formulaic, if not entirely predictable. Many of the historical mysteries just didn’t offer enough history to hold my attention. Thus, when I read that An Instance of the Fingerpost was hailed as a literary mystery set against the background of the English Restoration, I was intrigued.
, a historical novel about Constance of York who was Edward III’s granddaughter and Richard II’s cousin, offers a bibliography of fiction and non-fiction on Richard II. I especially appreciate that Wainwright highlights the novels that are biographical fiction. He lists separately those that provide background information on Richard or the times.
relates the life of his friend and lover from the time of his arrival in England as a teenager until his murder during the early years of Edward’s reign. Edward’s attraction is immediate.