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BURR, b y G ore V idal
S arah S chwerin
H istorical n ovels a re w hat I e njoy m ost a bout h istory. O nce
y ou s tart r eading, y ou're c aught u p i n a nother t ime a nd a nother
w orlc w hich s eems h auntingly f amiliar b ecause y ou m eet p ecple
f ace-to-face v1ho y ou 0 v e h eard s o m uch a bout.
B urr, b y G ore V idal
( Random House~ 1 973) i s a n e xcellent e xample o~well-written
h istorical n ovel. T he b ook i s a bout t he i nfamous A aron B urr,
t he m an v hc k illed A lexander H runilton i n a d uel.
He w as a lso t he
m an tvho s ervec, a s J efferson's v ice-president a ncl vTho w as l ater
c harge{ w ith t reason b y J efferson f or t rying t o b uild h is o wn
e mpire i n t he W est.
I n a daition, A aron B urr w as i ntimately i nvolved w ith t he
e ndless s truggles t hat c reated o ur c ountry. He k new a ll t he
f ounding f athers a s c onteMporaries a nd f riends.
V idal, t hrough
e xtensive r esearch, c reates B urr i n t his b ook, a nd t hrough h is
e yes, w e g et t o k now o ther fc~iliar f aces a s w ell. G eorge
W ashington, t he m an w ho " ultimately • •. m ust b e j udgec'. a s a n e xcellent
p olitician vJho hac1 n o g ift f or \ varfare. H istory, a s u sual, h as
g ot i t a ll b ackward." G eneral L ee, " brilliant,vain, f ascinating";
H a rnil t on, " iMpertinent"; J efferson, 01 the m ost c harming m an • .• a s
w ell a s t he m ost d eceitful"; J ames M adison, a " great l ittle m an".
We a lso s ee a l ot o f B urr's f eelings a bout t he r evolution a nd t he
c onstitutional a rguments.
" The r ich t ended t o b e p ro-British
w hile t he p cor w ere n ot i nterested i n w hether o r n ot A merican
m erchants p aid t axes t o a f ar a way i sland. T he t ruth i s t hat
e xcept f or a h andful o f a mbitious lav~ers, t here w ere v ery f ew
' patriots 0 i n 1 775. B y t he t ime t he l 0ng dea~ly w ar c arne t o a n
e nd, t here \<lere h ardly a ny t o b e f ound.
T he b est c 1ien; t he r est
g rew w eary. "
V idal u ses a f ictional j ournalist--Charlie S chuyler---to
n arrate t he s tory i n t he r ole o f a n a spiring y oung l awyer \-Tho
b ecomes B urr's f riend anc1 c 0nfic':;:-.nt ( even t hough h e i s o n a n
a ssignment t o d iscover s ome p roof t hat B urr f athered M artin V an
B uren).
I nterspersed a re B urr's m emoirs, w ritten i n a b elievable
s tyle \ vhich t ells t he e xperiences o f a f ascinating m an a s w ell a s
s howing e vents i n o ur h istory a t c lose h and.
B urr t akes u s t o
V alley F orge a nd Q uebec a nd d estroys a ny i llusions o f r omantic
g lory o r e ven s uccessful m ilitary o rganization. We s ee h is e ccentric s econc?: m arriage t o a w eal t hy widov,T, l ate i n l ife, a mid a ccusa·"
t icns o f e mbezzling h er f ortune, a nd e nding i n d ivorce.
T hese
a re j ust p~rts o f a m uch l arger c ollection o f r eminiscences o f
B urr ' s, \ vhich m ake u p t his v ery r eadable n ovel.
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Vol. 04, num. 3, Clio - 1977
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1977
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1
Dublin Core
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Title
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BURR, by Gore Vidal
Creator
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Sarah Schwerin