He was a perfectionist not given to humor or humility: his signature style was ponderous and literary, having many characters that pondered over religious themes and issues regarding faith.
hiː wʌzɐ pɚfˈɛkʃənˌɪst nˌɑːt ɡˈɪvən tə hjˈuːmɚ ɔːɹ hjuːmˈɪlᵻɾi: hɪz sˈɪɡnɪtʃɚ stˈaɪl wʌz pˈɑːndɚɹəs ænd lˈɪɾɚɹˌɛɹi, hˌævɪŋ mˈɛni kˈæɹɪktɚz ðæt pˈɑːndɚd ˌoʊvɚ ɹᵻlˈɪdʒəs θˈiːmz ænd ˈɪʃuːz ɹᵻɡˈɑːɹdɪŋ fˈeɪθ.