Julian was written by Gore Vidal in 1962, and as a Wiccan I found it fascinating and informative to read, if a bit ponderous at times. But believe me, it is well worth struggling over the rough spots. It's a fictionalized account of the short reign of the Roman Emperor Julian, who believed his mission in life was to halt the spread of christianity and revive the worship of the ancient gods. Gore's account of Julian Augustus' attempt to revive Hellenism and throw the "Galileans" into confusion and out of favor makes for an interesting study of religion, ethics, and the intricate inner workings of the Roman Empire.

With current events in mind, Julian is a relevant novel to dive into and explore the depths of the christian movement and how modern christianity evolved into what it is today. Julian's debates with the christian leaders and followers are intriguing; he tried to use logic against them, pointing out that many of their rituals and scriptures are based on ancient god worship, and that their religion was rife with hypocrisy.
How does one argue using logic against faith? (If I believe the moon is made of green cheese, who is going to make me see otherwise unless I choose to believe it isn't?)

It took me a little longer to read this book than usual. At 325 pages, it's not really that long of a novel, but it is so detailed and has so many characters that I found myself going back to previous pages several times. Gore Vidal is a master, and Julian is written with Vidal's characteristic irony and elegance. I also enjoyed that the framework of the story is a series of letters between the two philosophers Priscus and Libanius, and Julian's diary entries. (Reminded me of Les Liasions Dangereuses, which is a BRILLIANT novel.) This story is thought provoking. One wonders what would have happened if the Emperor Julian hadn't been assasinated at the age of 32. Personally, I think that what Julian tried to accomplish is impossible, because he wanted to organize paganism. With so many different deities being worshipped in so many different ways, I cannot fathom how he would have been able to do it. My own experience is that the fact that paganism isn't "organized" is what drew me to it in the first place. Anyway,  Julian is just the sort of read that challenges the reader to THINK and QUESTION in the most satisfying way. An excellent novel for all, christian and non.
Book club members, the next book we'll be discussing is Gore Vidal's Williwaw. With a name like "Williwaw", it's got to be good!