Hollywood

About “Hollywood”

Hollywood is the fifth novel in Gore Vidal's "Narratives of Empire," a series of six historical novels that serve as an extended biography of the United States. Set in 1917, the story follows Caroline Sanford, who becomes a movie star under the name Emma Traxler. As she rises to fame in Hollywood, she also maintains a life as a newspaper publisher and the mistress of a senator. The novel explores the growing influence of the film industry and its impact on American culture. It parallels the nation's struggle to balance power between Hollywood and Washington. The book was published in 1990.