Book review - "Point to Point" by Gore Vidal

The second half of Vidal's memoirs, from 1964 up to 2006 - only it isn't, really, because he flashes back and goes on about his childhood and parents again, and his 1960 political race and working in television, etc - though a bit more concisely than in Plampiset. Some glorious bits but at times feels like a rush job. Frustrating, too,because some of it is so good - the bit about the last days of his life partner Howard is heartbreaking (we hear a bit more about him here -still not in great detail though... is this what has held back Vidal as a novelist - and perhaps prolonged his career, because he hasn't gone mad - a reticence to really "go there" emotionally, as opposed to politically or sexually, which he certainly does); its also terrific to read about his writing Myra Breckinridge and Washington DC and An Evening with President Nixon, his acting experiences, later political campaigns. But he skips a lot of stuff which would have been great to read - eg film versions of Myra Breckinridge and Caligula, the writing of his other key novels - which is frustrating. And he quotes other writers talking about himself too much, eg Denis Altman (an Aussie- incidentally, he mentions another Aussie, Gough Whitlam, in the book:the two of them both so the cruise ship circuit, giving talks on luxury liners in exchange for a free passage). Its like he runs out of puff towards the end. NB another sign Vidal is getting on in years - he talk sa LOT about his various medical operations. However, at times he's still as bright (and snappy) as ever.