---
product_id: 18795595
title: "Julian: A Novel"
brand: "gore vidal"
price: "B/.72"
currency: PAB
in_stock: false
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.com.pa/products/18795595-julian-a-novel
store_origin: PA
region: Panama
---

# Julian: A Novel

**Brand:** gore vidal
**Price:** B/.72
**Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Julian: A Novel by gore vidal
- **How much does it cost?** B/.72 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Currently out of stock
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.pa](https://www.desertcart.com.pa/products/18795595-julian-a-novel)

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- gore vidal enthusiasts

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- Trusted gore vidal brand quality
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## Description

Julian: A Novel

## Images

![Julian: A Novel - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/518I8p45i5L.jpg)
![Julian: A Novel - Image 2](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41h+RTAr15L.jpg)
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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    A remarkable book about a remarkable man
  

*by M***K on Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2017*

An excellent piece of historical fiction. Vidal certainly brings 4th century Rome, Greece and Gaul to life, at least from the perspective of a ruling class youth rebelling against his family's embrace of what he considers to be a false religion (his uncle was Constantine the Great, the first emperor to legalize Christianity). Always the "weak" younger brother, both angry and in fear of being executed by his emperor cousin, as were both his father and later his older brother; more scholar than soldier, Julian devotes himself to study and worship of the traditional Hellenic gods and to staying alive by not rocking the family boat. The author recreates time and place with seeming ease and it's almost exciting to get an inside glimpse into the Roman emperor's court, the student "scene" of  ancient Athens, and the unexpected train of circumstance that leads Julian himself to the highest office of his time, that of Roman Augustus. His transformation to a brilliant military tactician and outstanding ruler could not, however, save him from the treachery of those "Christian" generals among his own staff who had him murdered by his own aide on the battlefield. A rather long but compelling work which should delight anyone interested in the Roman empire.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Outstanding if just to see what Julian's life really might have been like
  

*by R***H on Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2016*

I had read 

  
The Last Pagan: Julian the Apostate and the Death of the Ancient World









  
  
    
   and I was wondering how the Julian in that book that dabbles in magic and sex with prostitutes, quick jokes about his violent, sexual yet Christian brother and other oddities would translate to real life. Gore Vidal definitely brings it to life (TMI!). The summary is that Julian's family was killed by Christians, then he was raised but great Christians but ultimately rejected the philosophy and basically became a High Priest in Greek mythology, which had power then and wasn't a myth. They choose Julian to become Emperor and got him there and Julian vowed to raise them up. He re-established the Greek gods and persecuted Christians through getting them out of the military, government, preventing them to teach, stopping free rides on the transit system, and getting rid of tax waivers for churches. The Greek gods told him to wait a year to go to war with the Persians and he didn't and he died. The first third is pretty sexual and philosophical. An interesting war to take the throne in the middle, the royalty of basically bashing Christianity, and finally a quite ponderous war that led to his death. I'm guessing Gore Vidal overdoes the sex and violence, while not talking much about his interaction in his childhood with the great church fathers he lived with. Vidal draws from lots of sources that I read though, like some of his writings "Beard Hater", and 

  
Against the Galileans









  
  
    
   that I was wondering how they would play in real life. Thank you Gore Vidal, even if it is way too much sex, and a throughly Christian bashing work.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    So much fun!
  

*by A***R on Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2020*

What a fun read! This was my first Gore Vidal novel and if anything only whetted my appetite for more. I'd recommend this to anyone curious about dipping a toe into Vidal's highly stylized prose. Aside from showing some love to a seriously under-appreciated character, Julian sets the scene vividly with his depictions of an empire spanning the barren frontier of northern Gaul to the glittering capital of Constantinople. Moreover, Vidal introduces a narrative structure (that I've since come to see as his trademark) based around two timelines: one told in first person from Julian's POV and another based around two aging philosophers trying to tell his story years after his death. Not only does this allow for a wide range of perspectives on the plot, but it also introduces a degree of narrator unreliability that makes this such a pleasure to read. The author's extensive use of Church history and references to Scripture paint a a very diverse theological landscape full of debate which looks very different to the rigid orthodoxy that came to characterize catholicism, and he holds no punches when gleefully eviscerating christian doctrine. However, the dual-narrative structure keeps things fair and allows Vidal to poke fun just as much at some of Julian's own more bizarre pagan beliefs and rituals. Ultimately a dazzling read and a wonderful introduction to everything this writer has to offer. Currently reading Burr and can't wait to get my hands on more of his books!

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*Product available on Desertcart Panama*
*Store origin: PA*
*Last updated: 2026-02-22*