Myra Breckinridge

Myra Breckinridge

Company type	Novel
Industry	Literature
Founded	February 1968 (1968-02)
Founder	Gore Vidal
Products	Satirical novel
Parent	Little, Brown and Company

Myra Breckinridge is a satirical novel from 1968, penned by Gore Vidal and presented in the form of a diary. Critic Dennis Altman identified it as part of a broader cultural movement challenging traditional views on gender and sexuality during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The book delves into subjects such as feminism, transsexual identity, American machismo, patriarchy, and unconventional sexual behaviors, all portrayed through a campy perspective. It holds the distinction of being "the first novel featuring a protagonist who undergoes a clinical sex reassignment." Set against the backdrop of 1960s Hollywood, it provides an unfiltered look at the inner workings of the movie industry.

When published by Little, Brown in February 1968, Myra Breckinridge was condemned by conservative groups as obscene but rapidly achieved international bestseller status and has since been recognized as a cult classic by some. Altman remarked that Vidal’s challenge to sexual and gender conventions in this work surpasses much of what is found in queer theory scholarship. Esteemed critic Harold Bloom included it in his The Western Canon. Vidal himself regarded Myra as his preferred creation and followed it with a sequel titled Myron in 1974.

The novel was adapted into a film in 1970, which was critically derided; Vidal disavowed the movie, describing it as "an awful joke." In his 1995 memoir Palimpsest, Vidal revealed that Myra’s narrative voice was influenced by the "megalomania" evident in the diaries of Anaïs Nin. The story unfolds through progressively unstable diary entries by Myra, interspersed with commentary from Buck Loner.

Plot

Myra Breckinridge, an ardent admirer of the Golden Age of Hollywood and critic Parker Tyler, sets out with the mission to "re-create the sexes and thus save the human race from extinction." She arrives at the Academy for Aspiring Young Actors and Actresses in Los Angeles, an institution owned by Buck Loner—her late husband Myron’s uncle—who is a former cowboy actor and notorious womanizer. Myra’s objective is to secure her mother-in-law Gertrude’s share of the estate—now valued at $2 million—that was bequeathed to Buck and Gertrude through Myron’s will. Buck delays matters by engaging lawyers and offering Myra employment teaching classes on Empathy and Posture.

Though Myra quickly gains popularity among the students, she earns Buck’s ire. After consuming a mixture of gin and marijuana at a party, she experiences hallucinations and loses consciousness. Subsequently, she attends an orgy organized by students with the intention of merely observing but is forcibly drawn into participation by a band member, which triggers masochistic sensations.

Motivated by bitterness over Myron’s previous homosexuality, Myra attacks Rusty Godowski—a former football player—using a strap-on. This assault destroys Rusty’s relationship with Mary-Ann, another student under Myra’s influence. Rusty then begins dating casting agent Letitia Van Allen, who manipulates male clients sexually. The attack causes Rusty to become aggressive in his relationship with Letitia, which satisfies her desires, while Myra’s attempts to seduce Mary-Ann fail.

During a legal consultation, Buck’s attorneys disclose that no death certificate for Myron exists in New York, rendering the will invalid. At this point, Myra reveals scars from her vaginoplasty, disclosing that she and Myron are one and the same person—thereby entitling her to Gertrude’s portion of the estate. Buck is stunned but ultimately yields, though he privately harbors murderous thoughts toward her.

Following these events, Myra is involved in a hit-and-run accident; while unconscious, her breast implants are removed. Upon regaining consciousness and realizing this alteration, she attempts suicide. The narrative ends three years later with her living as Myron again, married to Mary-Ann; they achieve moderate success in show business while Myron reflects on former grandiose aspirations.

Writing

Originally, Vidal conceived Myra Breckinridge as a brief piece for the provocative revue Oh! Calcutta!, but he quickly developed it into a full-length novel, finishing the initial manuscript in Rome within a month. During the writing process, he decided to make Myra a transgender character. The last name "Breckinridge" was drawn from Bunny Breckinridge, a flamboyant stage actor and acquaintance of director Ed Wood, whose openly gay identity served as an inspiration for Vidal.

Analysis

According to critic Robert F. Kiernan, Myra Breckinridge explores how gender roles and sexual identities are socially constructed and influenced by dominant cultural attitudes. Being the first novel to feature a protagonist who undergoes a medical sex reassignment, Edmund Miller praised it as "a brilliantly chosen image for satire of contemporary mores." Arnie Kantrowitz referred to Myra as a "comic surrogate" who confronts gender conventions through incisive satire. Joseph Cady emphasized the book’s critical perspective on traditional American sexual norms.