If I hear the truth spoken by an elected official or his representative, I wonder if he has had no inducement to lie. We have undergone Watergate and Irangate we have seen a president resign from office under fire and a daydreaming movie star occupy the White House. But since that time the bottom has fallen out of my old world. I remember waxing a bit hot under the collar, reading Burr, at what I considered a travesty of the character of my hero, Thomas Jefferson. Many years ago, although an avid reader of his novels, I was uneasy in some parts of that world. “President Harding-of course I know exactly who he is-will be murdered.” I see something far more terrible than mere death.” Madame Marcia discarded her toothpick like an empress letting go her sceptre. In answer to the question: “He’ll die?” she replies:
Madame Marcia duly foresees the presidency in the stars and rampant lion of the horoscope. Only Harding’s hour and date of birth have been supplied to the functioning sorceress, but since she has instant access to the Congressional Directory, a glance could allow her to match the date to the man. Daugherty believes that his candidate will be nominated and elected, and he expects that Madame Marcia, who is consulted by the greatest in the land, will predict this, and that her prediction will be a good way of preparing the Duchess for her future role. The visit has been arranged by Harding’s henchman, Harry Daugherty, who is pushing him for the Republican nomination in 1920. Harding is affectionately known, visits the Washington salon of the astrologist Madame Marcia to read her husband’s horoscope. As his amanuensis, he chooses Charles Schermerhorn Schuyler, a young New York City journalist, and together they explore both Burr's past and the continuing political intrigues of the still young United States.In the beginning of Gore Vidal’s new novel, Hollywood, the “Duchess,” as the consort of Ohio senator Warren G.
And he is determined to tell his own story. Burr retains much of his political influence if not the respect of all. In 1833, Burr is newly married, an aging statesman considered a monster by many. In 1807, he was arrested, tried, and acquitted of treason. In 1804, while serving as vice president, Aaron Burr fought a duel with his political nemesis, Alexander Hamilton, and killed him.
Burr is a portrait of perhaps the most complex and misunderstood of the Founding Fathers. With their broad canvas and large cast of fictional and historical characters, the novels in this series present a panorama of the American political and imperial experience as interpreted by one of its most worldly, knowing, and ironic observers. Gore Vidal's Narratives of Empire series spans the history of the United States from the Revolution to the post-World War II years.
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