One of the great things about this book is that Barth is able to tap into the ethos of all his included earlier works. It becomes almost a burden if you are familiar with the characters already, for it makes the reading experience one of constant nostalgia. The fresh reader will not have that problem, though I'm sure it adds to the epistolary experience as one connecting with characters you already "know."

That being said, Barth takes on a huge role in this novel. Though I disagree with many of the critics (I in fact find this book entirely readable), at the same time I feel his writing wanes as the structure takes over, leaving the middle to late third of the novel a bit hollow. Be that as it may, it is an admirable enterprise, and it highlights the power and anachronisms of the epistolary novel. Of particular consequence in his writing, one that extends beyond the work and becomes at the same time a literary criticism piece, is the fact that even back to the romantics, the novel was a form in which the story was written FOR someone. This breaks the conventional view of the omniscient perspective of detachment for the pure Deus Ex Machina. He blatantly turns the characters into the very gods that writing is supposed to supplant, creating a polytheistic story. This though is where he has his struggle. For while each perspective vies for its position in the plot, some inevitable take precedence and therefore diminish the role and subsequent relevance of some of the other writers. In fact, some of the secondary characters gain more relevance than do the authors themselves.

Overall a great read though for any fan of Barth or his criticism. His is not the most palatable touch. I find the best thing about him is that he does not try to be grandiose in his writings by making statements about life, but explores(even more explicitly in LETTERS) the very reality of words, symbols, and their effects on thought as a whole. ( )