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Review: William T. Vollmann's "A Table for Fortune" and the Tradition of American Political Fiction

By

Michael Barron

14d ago· 17 min readenReview

Summary

A review and analysis of William T. Vollmann's massive 3,096-page novel "A Table for Fortune," examining its place in the tradition of American political fiction alongside works by Norman Mailer, Don DeLillo, and Richard Condon. The article discusses Vollmann's iconoclastic career and his ambitious contribution to the literature of U.S. government affairs.

Source

bskyReview: William T. Vollmann's "A Table for Fortune" and the Tradition of American Political Fictionthebaffler.com

Key quotes

· 3 pulled
The permanent underworld of American public life has only ever been captured and distilled by novelists.
William T. Vollmann has paid a high price for his iconoclasm.
A Table for Fortune by William T. Vollmann. Arcade Publishing, 3,096 pages. 2026
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William T. Vollmann has paid a high price for his iconoclasm.

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