JULIAN: A NOVEL

Julian the Apostate, who tried to replace Christianity with tolerance for all religions, particularly the Hellenistic ones, is the subject of this work of historical fiction by Gore Vidal. Accompanied by the notes of Priscus of Athens and Libanius of Antioch, two elderly scholars, the book consists of the main narrative coupled with the humor and backbiting gossip that has made Vidal's style so distinctive--and that serves to make this novel realistic and accessible. This was Vidal's first historical novel, a form that served him well throughout his long career.