In the new issue of City Journal, Christopher Hitchens observes that there has never been a literary masterpiece about Washington, D.C. Despite a history with “Advise and Consent” and efforts by Gore Vidal and Henry James, the nation’s capital has never produced a classic novel. As Hitchens sees it, D.C. is a town with a lot of social and political color that no one has managed to capture with timeless brilliance.
If it hasn’t produced a masterpiece, D.C. has produced a great, timeless novel. It’s called “The Exorcist,” and next year marks its 40th anniversary.
