Cry Shame!: A Novel by Gore Vidal Audiobook By Gore Vidal, Katherine Everard cover art

Cry Shame!: A Novel by Gore Vidal

 Virtual Voice Sample

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection of titles.
Yours as long as you’re a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for $8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Cry Shame!: A Novel by Gore Vidal

By: Gore Vidal, Katherine Everard
Narrated by: Virtual Voice
Try Standard free

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $4.99

Buy for $4.99

Background images

This title uses virtual voice narration

Virtual voice is computer-generated narration for audiobooks.
REVIEWS "Frank and revealing." —Dayton Daily News "Definitely adult reading!" —Cincinnati Enquirer "Magnificent....the tale of a poor girl who makes good in the movies but falls prey to bad men and worse drink." —The Independent “A witty, surreal version of ‘American Idol.’ Unmistakably Vidal.” —CineZoneZINE DESCRIPTION This hard-to-find early novel by Vidal traces the rise to stardom of an impoverished Latina girl. Her passion for dance takes her from the honky-tonks of New Orleans to the studios of Hollywood and international fame. Along the way, eccentric characters teach her life lessons that are sometimes learned and sometimes disappear in an alcohol haze. Grace, the doomed main character, evokes Elizabeth Taylor and her longtime friendship with Montgomery Clift. With camp tempered by pathos and themes of ambition, fame and sexuality, the novel prefigures Vidal's later "Myra Breckinridge." Originally titled "A Star's Progress" and released under the pseudonym Katherine Everard, the novel was republished, in slightly altered form, as a paperback. This is the original hardback text.
All stars
Most relevant
In the past, I've read a couple of Gore Vidal's Myra/Myron books and his American history books and so I know he is a good writer. But this bit of pulp fiction reminded me of that Truman Capote line, "its not writing, its typing". This is a slight story based on Lupe Velez life with a little Rita Hayworth thrown in for good measure. The story of a young Mexican girl who dreams of becoming a dancer and becomes a movie star. Along the way she marries at 14, falls in love with a homosexual and generally is unsatisfied with everything.

Maybe there is an actual book buried somewhere, but it really feels like Gore was trying to put as many words on the page to fill his chapter word quote. The dialogue is trite, the story limps along and feels much longer than the six hours it took to listen to it.

I will say the first 3 or 4 chapters were smartly written and engaging, then if feels like it was just a chore for him to write the last half of the book. The title is also a cheat, because I was expecting a spicy romp and it barely rises above a story that would have been in a romance magazine in the 30's.

For Gore Vidal completists. Also, it is read by Virtual Voice. It does sound like a real person and at time actually shows some emotion. But it also added to the monotony of the listen..

Almost a book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.