Title: empty pyrotechics
Product review: John Gardner, in his (excellent) _On Writers and Writing_, mentioned this book so he could have an example of "empty pyrotechnics" -- he couldn't have made a better choice. The book is indeed profoundly empty; it contains no life, nor anything taken from life.The characters give entertaining speeches, and are doubtless well pleased with themselves; but why should I spend the hours of my own life reading it? Barth's skill with words is impressive; that doesn't make him a great writer, any more than being fast made Herb Washington a great ballplayer.Some praise its knowledge of history; I would say, rather, that it demonstrates the distinction between knowing some facts about history and knowing something about history worth communicating.
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