Rose Cantine

I am reading “Julian” by Gore Vidal about the Roman emperor Julian (known by many as Julian the Apostate) who lived between 331 and 363 AD. Although it is a work of historical fiction, Vidal had meticulously researched his subject matter (unlike many writers today who play fast and loose with history). The novel is written as a fictional set of memoirs by Julian, with commentary from his teachers, the philosophers Priscus and Libanius. What is most striking and impressive about this novel is Vidal’s scathing attack on the Roman Catholic Church from the perspective of Julian who turned his back on the Church and during his short reign, tried to bring back the Hellenistic gods. If you want to immerse yourself in the politics and mores of the 4th century AD, in Roman history and the early Roman Catholic Church, you must read this book. I am a big fan of Gore Vidal’s work. I’ve read his memoirs, Palimpsest and Point-to-Point Navigation. I also have a collection of his essays, which are among the very best I’ve read. Certainly among American essayists, I think he’s the best.