The Smithsonian Institution - Hardcover

Vidal, Gore

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0375501215 ISBN 13: 9780375501210

Publisher: Random House, 1998

Synopsis

The accomplished author's twenty-fourth novel combines his ongoing interest in American history with outrageous satire, science fiction, and social commentary, featuring a teenaged scientist who is recruited by the Smithsonian Institution to change history. 75,000 first printing.

About this title

About the Author:

Gore Vidal was born in 1925 at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He is the author of many books including Julian, Washington, D.C., and Myra Breckenridge. His collected essays, United States, won the National Book Award in 1993. He lives in Italy.

From AudioFile:

The TV broadcast of "A Visit to a Small Planet" gave a wide public its first exposure to satirist, political observer and TV commentator Gore Vidal. Like "Visit," Smithsonian is satire in the form of science fiction. A young scientist is called to "the nation's attic" to help change history, alongside vivified wax figures of America's favorite heroes. One can hear the author's distinctive voice in every line. However, one cannot hear much of that voice in Steve Pietrofesa's performance. Aside from misreading a few lines and some odd pronunciations, he reads well enough, adopting a light air befitting a work of humor. Yet he totally lacks the irony and dry, fey wit that distinguish the author. Y.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0375501215
• ISBN 13: 9780375501210
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 260