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Rating: 
Summary: An eerily prophetic gem
Review: According to the back cover of the Penguin edition of Gore Vidal's "Messiah," this novel was first published in 1954. With that in mind, the book is unsettlingly prophetic in its depiction of a media driven, controversy-plagued religious movement; it's almost as if Vidal had looked into the future and seen the coming era of televangelists and death cults."Messiah" is told in the first person by Eugene Luther, a key figure in the rise of the Cavite movement. This new religion is founded by John Cave, who preaches the simple message that "it is good to die." Vidal uses a very effective narrative device: Luther is an older man who alternates between narrating his current life in exile and the birth if the Cavite movement 50 years previously. Thus, the reader essentially gets two parallel stories of the same man at different stages in his life. "Messiah" could be read as a sort of science fiction novel: one based not in the physical sciences, but rather in a flight of fancy derived from concepts from the social sciences. Vidal's novel is flawed in that the Cavite movement is not fleshed out enough to be wholly convincing. But what's here is indeed intriguing. Vidal looks at the creation of the new religion's scriptures, infighting among the new faith's inner circle, etc. He ultimately considers some big questions, such as the plasticity of history in the service of dogma. And the book is very much a reflection on religion in the United States; one character notes that "America is particularly known for religious maniacs." I think of "Messiah" as one of a group of literary works that look at the creation of imaginary new religions. As companion texts, I recommend Kurt Vonnegut's "Cat's Cradle" and Tony Kushner's 2-part play "Angels in America."
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Summary: How true...
Review: Although I agree that the writing is not Vidal's best, it's still better than a lot of the junk that gets published and becomes a bestseller nowadays. The satire is wicked enough, and reading _Messiah_ in this day and age it sure does make Vidal seem a prescient man. Although most of us aren't stupid enough to fall prey to religious gurus, it disturbs me that even a small percentage of the world is. It makes me sad. Doesn't it make you sad?
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Summary: Amazing, this vision...
Review: First of all, I am none of those people who says "Everybody should read this book..blabla", but I am an admirer of Gore Vidal's work. And I would recommmend it to me anytime. This book is roughly about how a cult comes out of the obscure and eventually rises - with the help of modern mass media - to an all-encompassing (and hence intolerant) world religion. There does not seem to be anything special about this plotline for today's standards, but keep in mind that this book was written in the fifties. Considering this, I must admire Vidal for his vision and foresight. The way he describes the role of modern communicaton and advertisement, essentially unheard of at the times, is splendid. Granted, the story is at least today not that new, and Vidal was surely influenced by other writers of his time. But the transparency of his prose, the way he develops the plot line is beautiful, and the message strong, even today
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Summary: DEATH'S MESSIAH
Review: Great Literature opens the window for all to see what is hidden behind ordinary verbiage-to make transparent words that cloak and distort the world. Vidal allows John Cave and his other characters to speak like few others have spoken. Life is "like a spray in the ocean. There it forms, there it goes back to the sea." "Neither revenge nor reward, only the not-knowing in the grave which is the same for all." "It is good to die." John Cave discovered that with his proposal to establish suicide centers came the obligation for himself, like Christ, to take leave of earth. Like all messiahs Cave had to take the final step, showing mankind his Cavesway. This is a great novelization of ideas best expressed by Eric Hoffer, THE TRUE BELIEVER, who tried to account for the rise of Hitler, Stalin, and others. The catalyst for mass movements are groups who are bored and frustrated by the mechanized societies that spawn them. The character Clarissa remarks, "boredom, finally, is the one monster the race will never conquer-the monster which will devour us in time." Cave's message was to "minds corseted and constricted by familiar ways of thinking, often the opposite of what they truly believed." Vidal wasn't writing to those who thoughtlessly accept life as it is and was dished out. I consider this book great literature.
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Summary: DEATH'S MESSIAH
Review: Great Literature opens the window for all to see what is hidden behind ordinary verbiage-to make transparent words that cloak and distort the world. Vidal allows John Cave and his other characters to speak like few others have spoken. Life is "like a spray in the ocean. There it forms, there it goes back to the sea." "Neither revenge nor reward, only the not-knowing in the grave which is the same for all." "It is good to die." John Cave discovered that with his proposal to establish suicide centers came the obligation for himself, like Christ, to take leave of earth. Like all messiahs Cave had to take the final step, showing mankind his Cavesway. This is a great novelization of ideas best expressed by Eric Hoffer, THE TRUE BELIEVER, who tried to account for the rise of Hitler, Stalin, and others. The catalyst for mass movements are groups who are bored and frustrated by the mechanized societies that spawn them. The character Clarissa remarks, "boredom, finally, is the one monster the race will never conquer-the monster which will devour us in time." Cave's message was to "minds corseted and constricted by familiar ways of thinking, often the opposite of what they truly believed." Vidal wasn't writing to those who thoughtlessly accept life as it is and was dished out. I consider this book great literature.
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Summary: Inside a cult
Review: Messiah may not be one of Vidal's best novels but if you enjoyed Creation, Kilki or Julian you will like this one also. Or if you have an interest in cults, this inside picture of a death cult will ring true. The processes portrayed mirrors both the movements of Swami Praphupada and Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Another interesting effect of the cult Vidal describes is the division of the world between the cult and the Islamic world; with Islam being portrayed as the more liberal.
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Summary: Amazing
Review: Messiah was the first book I read by Gore Vidal. He is an amazing story teller. You will not be able to stop thinking about this book. I have recommended this book to everyone I know. Read Kalki as well. Wonderful stuff!!
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Summary: a review from mango
Review: this was a really good story. even though the writing was not vidal's best, it is a pretty interesting book. now i cant wait to see what he has to say in kalki
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Summary: Pulp fiction from Vidal
Review: This would have made a good Twilight Zone episode but it is second rate Vidal. A cult finally figures out that perfect (or absolute) peace is only possible in death. Their conclusion is to kill themselves and everyone else off - as a way of saving the human race from all struggle and disquietude. Creepy because of its premise but not great writing.
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Summary: A book everyone who ever had a guru should read
Review: Written as an interruption to his work on JULIAN, MESSIAH is another bite in the leg of those foolish enough to believe the things they have been told to believe.
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