In 1804, while serving as vice president, Aaron Burr fought a duel with his political nemesis, Alexander Hamilton, and killed him. Here is an extraordinary portrait of one of the most complicated-and misunderstood-figures among the Founding Fathers. BOOK REVIEW: Whatever's Been Going On at Mumblesby.For readers who can't get enough of the hit Broadway musical Hamilton, Gore Vidal's stunning novel about Aaron Burr, the man who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel-and who served as a successful, if often feared, statesman of our fledgling nation.BOOK REVIEW: A Secret Affair by Mary Balogh.

Not only do I want to read more of his work, but I’m considering going back and re-evaluating Burr. This book was so enjoyable, I’ve changed my mind on Gore Vidal. At various times, his observations of people and situations had me laughing out loud. Schuyler as an old man, not in the best of health, in a financially precarious state, yet still very much respected by movers and shakers, is a much more interesting protagonist than the young Charlie in Burr. He manages to present the complicated politics, the corruption, the role of the press – all filtered through Schuyler’s biased, dry, cynical viewpoint in a way that is depressing and amusing at the same time. Vidal’s gift for writing vivid historical detail makes the book truly read like a first person account. Finally, it showcases the New York City, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia of 1876, including its socialites and politicians.Īlthough the novel started a bit slow, it quickly became engrossing. It also follows the fortunes of Schuyler and Emma. The novel traces the political maneuverings of 1876 that culminated in Tilden winning the popular vote by a comfortable margin, but nevertheless having the election stolen by Rutherford B.

Schuyler believes it likely that he will be appointed ambassador to France if Tilden, a friend, is elected. And to see Governor Samuel Tilden (the reformer who brought down Boss Tweed) elected President. Additional goals are to find a comfortably wealthy husband for Emma. He has returned because he lost his fortune in the crash of 1873, his daughter is widowed, and he is desperate to earn enough by his writing to support them both. He arrives with his daughter, Emma, a Frenchwoman through and through, and a princess to boot. Against his inclination, he must return to his native country. Schuyler is now a successful journalist/historian, who has spent the last 39 years in Paris, sending home occasional articles and writing a few books.

Nevertheless, an interest in the post-Civil War years and the Gilded Age led me to pick up Vidal’s 1876.

I couldn’t see why Vidal got such rave reviews. Too dense, too dull, and the protagonists (the aged Aaron Burr and the young Charlie Schuyler) were not sympathetic characters. Way back in 2011, I read Gore Vidal’s Burr, and didn’t like it.

Gore vidal aaron burr