In a witty and elegant autobiography that takes up where his bestelling Palimpsest left off, the celebrated novelist, essayist, critic, and controversialist Gore Vidal reflects on his remarkable life.Writing from his desks in Ravello and the Hollywood Hills, Vidal travels in memory through the arenas of literature, television, film, theatre, politics, and international society where he has cut a wide swath, recounting achievements and defeats, friends and enemies made (and sometimes lost). From encounters with, amongst others, Jack and Jacqueline Kennedy, Tennessee Williams, Eleanor Roosevelt, Orson Welles, Johnny Carson, Francis Ford Coppola to the mournful passing of his longtime partner, Howard Auster, Vidal always steers his narrative with grace and flair. Entertaining, provocative, and often moving, Point to Point Navigation wonderfully captures the life of one of twentieth-century America's most important writers.
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"Entertaining autobiography of Gore Vidal. This is a guy who's had an interesting life. He knew many interesting famous people from the middle 20th century. As a teenager he was an step-brother of Jackie Kennedy and he was close to the Kennedy family. He has an interesting and plausible take on what really happened with the JFK assassination. He has so many interesting observations about politics and American culture going back 80 years. He actually interacted with Huey Long as a little kid because of his influential father. His observations span that early time all the way to the modern day when he also has powerful insights over the current wars and political system. The descriptions of movies show how different life was back in the 30s. When a person used to see a movie back then they knew they would probably never see it again and so they would have to try to remember everything. What a contrast with the modern overload of information. He had a funny observation about his address book as an old man because so many of the people written in it have, as he said "fallen off the perch" or "ridden on ahead"." — Ob-jonny (4 out of 5 stars)
"Entertaining autobiography of Gore Vidal. This is a guy who's had an interesting life. He knew many interesting famous people from the middle 20th century. As a teenager he was an step-brother of Jackie Kennedy and he was close to the Kennedy family. He has an interesting and plausible take on what really happened with the JFK assassination. He has so many interesting observations about politics and American culture going back 80 years. He actually interacted with Huey Long as a little kid because of his influential father. His observations span that early time all the way to the modern day when he also has powerful insights over the current wars and political system. The descriptions of movies show how different life was back in the 30s. When a person used to see a movie back then they knew they would probably never see it again and so they would have to try to remember everything. What a contrast with the modern overload of information. He had a funny observation about his address book as an old man because so many of the people written in it have, as he said "fallen off the perch" or "ridden on ahead"."
" thoroughly worth reading. but i'm a big gore vidal fan, so of course i enjoyed this audiobook -- read by mr. vidal himself. "
" Short book on a well lived life, with many unexpected guests floating about. "
" Vidal is always a fun read. Unfortunately Gore Vidal skipped much I found fascinating about him; his involvement at the '68 convention when he debated Buckley, his appearances with Cavett (including the famous meeting with Norman Mailer), and his writing process. Probably my favorite novelist. "
" Gore Vidal is a name-dropper. He's a talented writer, with wicked and incisive views on most any subject you care to name . . . but he can't stop trying to impress readers with his constant name dropping. And in doing so, he totally turns me off. "
" This is a a good follow up to "Palimpsest," but I wouldn't call it anything exciting or beyond exceptional for Gore Vidal. It's mostly 2-5 pages per chapter of genuine memoirs related to his childhood, his father, his life in Italy with Howard, his reflections on leaving Italy, and of course some of that good old name dropping gossip that Gore Vidal is well known for. "
" Gore Vidal's semi-autobiography. It was OK. Certainly not as god as his books, Burr and Lincoln. "
" I love me some Gore, but this a fragmented mess. He's really up in years, so I won't criticize further. "
" Enjoyable, but I think Gore's being a tad lazy in this one. It's easy to write engaging memoir when you've been born into this society. Didn't mind skipping around chronologically but he could have done more to weave a stronger narrative thread. "
" The most touching thing about this book is his description of the loss of his partner of 50 years. He handles the loss in the simplest and most heart-renchingly exposed way - it's a short scene worth reading the entire book just to encounter. "
" Not as good as his earlier memoir. There was quite a bit of skipping around and very short chapters, all of which made it slightly difficult to follow his train of thought. However, this is an antidote for anyone who is over-exposed to the Myth of the Kennedys. "
" Follow along at your own risk. "
" Spotty, although what is good is very good indeed (the chapter on Howard Austen's death, the chapter on Princess Margaret). The rest is amusing, but frequently in a tired sort of way. "
" This book is liking sitting down for a long conversation with Vidal about his life. Simply amazing. "
" Such a name dropper! Such a braggart! Such pomposity! Such a life! Although I found the book a bit boring he is still a fascinating man. "
" Been wanting to read this for ages, finally getting a chance. It takes a while to get going — not as well-structured or focused as its predecessor, Palimpsest — but 100 pages in I'm really enjoying it. And the section on the death of his partner, Howard Auster, is of course deeply moving. "
" Depressing. Mostly a rehashing of Palimpset plus being sad about being at the end of his life. "
" Noteworthy less for the writing than the biographical anecdotes. "
" Probably would've enjoyed it even more thoroughly if I picked up all of his intellectual, political, historical, pop cultural, literary, and hollywood references. Still, Vidal's writing is always an absolute delight to me. "
" This was very enjoyable and interesting. I like the non-linear writing style here. It gives the recounting over to the different subjects, and not to following the order of time (and thus we have the title of the book, I think). "
Gore Vidal (1925–2012), winner of the National Book Award, wrote numerous works of fiction, nonfiction, short stories, plays, screenplays, and essay. Many of his works were New York Times bestsellers list.
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