BurrBurr
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1830s New York, a young law clerk named Charlie Schuyler is hired to help old Aaron Burr write his memoirs, and secretly to dig up scandal. Burr, once vice president, the man who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel and was tried for treason, tells his side of the founding of America, and his Washington, Jefferson and Hamilton are very different from the heroes of history books.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 21 weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. It's witty, cynical historical fiction, the first of Vidal's American Chronicle novels.
You'll love it if you liked
1776
Wolf Hall
The Plot Against AmericaGood to know
Burr is a charming, unreliable narrator. Vidal is deliberately irreverent about the Founding Fathers.
By the numbers
- Readers61 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller48 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
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Quick answers
Is Burr worth reading?
Yes. It spent 21 weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #1,299 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 70.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Burr about?
In 1830s New York, a young law clerk named Charlie Schuyler is hired to help old Aaron Burr write his memoirs, and secretly to dig up scandal. Burr, once vice president, the man who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel and was tried for treason, tells his side of the founding of America, and his Washington, Jefferson and Hamilton are very different from the heroes of history books.
How long does it take to read Burr?
About 11 hours (430 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Burr?
If you liked it, try 1776 by David McCullough, Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel or The Plot Against America by Philip Roth.