A review by kkurczynski
The City and the Pillar by Gore Vidal

dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
THIS BOOK IS PROBLEMATIC. There's no way to enjoy it differently rather than to read it in the context of 40s - lowkey, the book has a really degrading stance on feminine men and presents very masculine gay men, which can be justified in 1940s as Gore Vidal fighting against the stereotype of a 'fairy' but now it's hard to enjoy reading it; I'd only recommend it to people who are interested in the history of queer literature (this is the first American book with a gay main character i believe) but if you are to read an LGBT+ book for fun please look for something different because you might find this triggering and annoying
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