Palimpsest cover art

Palimpsest

A Memoir

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Palimpsest

By: Gore Vidal
Narrated by: Jeff Cummings
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About this listen

This explosively entertaining memoir abounds in gossip, satire, historical apercus, and trenchant observations. Vidal’s compelling narrative weaves back and forth in time, providing a whole view of the author’s celebrated life, from his birth in 1925 to today, and features a cast of memorable characters - including the Kennedy family, Marlon Brando, Anais Nin, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

©1995 Literary Creation Enterprises, Inc. (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Excerpts from The Diary of Artois Nin 1944-1947 © 1971 by Audis Nin. Reprinted by permission of Harcourt Brace & Company. Excerpts from The Letters of William S. Burroughs 1945-1959, edited by Oliver Harris. © 1993 by William S. Burroughs. Used by permission of Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc. Art & Literature Authors Entertainment & Celebrities Gay Studies LGBTQ+ Studies Social Sciences Witty
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Written with humility and generosity of spirit. The loss of Jimmy Trimble was so heartfelt and touching. The bravery of a heartfelt loss brought tears to the eyes. A courageous life lived, and he lived it for both of them. I hope they are together now.

Generous and cathartic

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I did like parts of the book, but overall, it lacked wit and humour. Half way through, I thought a better title would be’Bitter recollections of famous people I’ve known’ he’s just ‘down’ on everyone. Overall, I felt a bit sad for Gore. There must have been a human somewhere deep down. Seems he never learned to love (or as the song has it) or to be loved.

Boring and bitter

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