Customer Reviews

Dark Green, Bright Red

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3 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dark Green, Bright Red by Gore Vidal was his second novel, written when he was in his early twenties. This story of a planned revolution in a mythical South American country was probably unbelievable in its day, dealing as it did does with the involvement of the U.S. governemnt, the United Fruit Company (under another name) and an up front assumption that Uncle Sam calls the shots in Central and South America. Unfortunately Vidal does not go all the way with this story. The 'hero', a former American Army officer who has left the service under a cloud of suspicion, 'retires' to the mythical country that is the setting for the story, because his good friend from WWII is the former President's son. Soon he is caught up in a plot to bring the former president to power once more, and also involved in an affair with the former president's daughter. Obviously no good can come of this, and of course it doesn't. The conclusion is to be expected and the main character leaves the story having experienced much but seemingly having learned little.There is a lot of interest here, especially the clear view that Vidal has of the role played in Latin American relations by entities such as the United Fruit Company and the willingness of the U.S. Government to go to great lenghts to support them. It would be decades before the public at large would recognize this as true. For this alone the book is worth reading.

The political writings of Gore Vidal are timeless.

Originally published in 1950, the novel is set in a mythical South American country that has resources to plunder and a multi-national corporation willing to do the bidding for U.S. government interests. In the mix is the deposed president - who firmly believes that his powerful "friends" will help him and his son regain power - and a former U.S. Army officer with tacit knowledge that a handshake from some is actually a death sentence.

The former president is playing a game that he feels he has the cards to win. It is much too late when he realizes that he was just another puppet on a string who will be remembered as only a footnote in the history of his nation.

Set the scene in another location, tweak the characters a bit and the reader is drawn into yet another conflict that benefits the few, while leaving a bloody trail under the guise of fighting for freedom and democracy.

Boring from the first go and quite unreadable as you go along few pages - and that's an effort to say the least. Leon Uris would have done a much better job with the same subject matter. I am giving it 3 stars because Vidal exposed the nexus between business and Government in subjugating downtrodden people.