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The City and the Pillar
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Will Damron
A celebrated literary cause when first published more than 50 years ago, Gore Vidal’s now-classic The City and the Pillar is considered a landmark novel about the gay experience.
Jim, a handsome, all-American athlete, is always shy in front of girls. But when he and his best friend, Bob, engage in “terrible childish play,” the experience forms Jim’s ideal of spiritual fulfillment. Despite his parents’ expectations, Jim goes away on his own in hopes of finding Bob and rekindling their passionate friendship. Along the way, he struggles with what he feels is his unique relationship with Bob and with his lingering attraction to other men. When he finally meets Bob years later, his hopes for a life together lead to a devastating climax. The first novel of its kind to emerge in the American literary scene, The City and the Pillar remains a frank and uncompromising depiction of sexual relationships between men.
Great story, unexpected ending.
Gore Vidal has a talent for speech. The story goes very well. A story of passion and disillusionment, and a portrait of gay life in the post-World War II era.
