Kalki (Litterature etrangere) (French) Hardcover – 1 Mar. 2006

Enjoyed this greatly. Delivery was prompt.

Best novel ever written, fantastic right up to last page a must read

Fantastic novel

An unexpected mix of thriller, science fiction, religion and philosophy, this book is many things. It has a rye humour and poses the question if the world would be a better place if the human race disappeared in morning. While all the individual characters are presented quite sympathically, as a collective it seems better if we were all removed from the equation before we do irreparable damage to the earth. A page turner which leaves you with something to ponder after the final page.

I get the impression that this is the kind of book that you have to 'study' rather than just read to get the full benefit of it.I enjoyed the first half, and it brought up some interesting questions, but after the 'event' I felt the plot went downhill and was more a vehicle for the message Vidal wanted to communicate than a believeable and engaging story.It did not encourage me to explore any of his other works, but having discussed it with other I know a lot of people disagree with me

First and only book I have read by Gore Vidal. Such a good and intelligent story. Enjoyed it immensly. Opens up your imagination A sinister look into how the world operates. Made me realise how important and powerful pilots are. A pretty nice way to kill masses of people, Enjoy

Je tiens à marquer mon désaccord avec Alfred qui n'a pas aimé cet excellent roman, l'un des meilleurs de Gore Vidal. Je regrette d'ailleurs que ce grand et brillant auteur américain - certainement l'un des plus importants du 20ème siècle - soit si peu lu, si peu apprécié et donc si peu reconnu de ce côté-ci de l'Atlantique.Voici ce que Time magazine en a dit lors de sa publication : "Diabolique d'habileté. Un mélange détonnant de féminisme, d'homosexualité, de mysticisme, de science-fiction, relevé d'un zeste d'instinct primitif garanti élémentaire, de snobisme parfaitement à la mode, le tout éclairé par la deuxième loi de la thermodynamique... Extravagant et franchement apocalyptique !"J'ai lu Kalki il y a une trentaine d'années et je suis heureux de le retrouver réédité par les Éditions Galaade qui semblent avoir entrepris de faire mieux connaître l’œuvre de Vidal au public français. Qu'elles en soient sincèrement remerciées !A ceux qui seront séduits par ce roman captivant, je recommande aussi les excellents Messiah et Création.

J'avais lu des extraits de ce livre et je pensais que le livre en entier serait aussi intéressant,je me suis trompé, je ne recommande pas la lecture de cet ouvrage

This is a great book that works on every level. The plot and its wonders are fully explained by other reviewers, and I will not offer more. The purpose of this review is to explain the origin of the story---something not seen in the other reviews.Merwan Shariar was born of Irani parents in India sometime around 1890. He was taken by the Five Perfect Masters at an early age. Later in his training, the Masters revealed to him that he was indeed "the Ancient One", the Avatar (also known as the White Horse Avatar). He took the name Meher Baba, and was silent for the last 40 years of his life. (also known as the "silent messiah".) He communicated by means of an alphabet board. His acts of humility are very well known. There are now millions of his followers world-wide, and the two main Baba centers are in Meherabad (India), and Myrtle Beach (S.C.). The last 10 years of his life were spent seeking out the Masts (the God-intoxicated) of India. He declared that he was called to human form by the five perfect masters not to establish a cult nor to promote a new faith (his followers retain their previous faith). Whether one believes in his divinity or not, his was a fascinating life. For more info, go to avatarmeherbaba.com. I do not believe in his divinity, but Gore Vidal must have been at least interested. and again, Kalki is a great book no matter what you believe. Because of Vidal's open homosexuality and communist beliefs, it is a shame that he will probably never be nominated for the Nobel Prize. He certainly deserves it.

A wonderful book for fans of the seventies- it really took me back to that era. So much was going on then as in the book- the changing sexual & spiritual mores; & the changing attitudes of governments along with it. Parts of the story were serialised for Playboy magazine at the time of its release, which caused quite a sensation. I was too young to read this book when it came out- & it was worth catching up to afterward!

Gore Vidal's Kalki belongs in the ranks of Cat's Cradle, Crying of Lot 49, and other such experimental literary classics. Vidal's biting political satire and wryly intelligent playfulness in Kalki make it, in my humble opinion, an even better read than Vonnegut or Robbins or Pynchon have produced.The story is, without giving away too much, about an American Hindu cult figure who has predicted the end of the world. An unlikely reporter is hired to cover the case, only to end up in a labyrnth of deceit, political intrigue, and no shortage of playfully sexy scenarios.Major issues dealt with, as only our leading man of letters Gore Vidal could, include feminism, bisexuality, American politics, media, religion, and the end of life on Earth. These major "issues" do not, however, interfere in any way with the romp-in-the-sand fun of reading one of the best novels written in the second half of the 20th century.For anyone who likes metafiction, experimental fiction, and humor, this novel should be the next one you read.

This is a brilliant and engrossing novel… fascinating characters, thought-provoking and impactful story, and still relevant after all these years… Gore Vidal was one of the great authors of the English language!

spans continents. prophetic

I can't accuse this of being overly sophisticated, but I really like the energy and the characters that are spun. Pretty damn engrossing/intoxicating and the story weaves nicely.

One of my favorite Gore Vidal books. What a great storyteller he is. Fabulous and intriguing characters. Couldn't put it down.

One of Gore Vidal's underrated classics. A wonderful read. A bit ominous and very poignant even today.

beautiful book...thank you!

Too slow to get started, takes too long to establish. May have been a great novel thirty years ago, but a bit slow for today's story narration structures.

It was in French...so great if you speak French; unfortunately I do not.