Good thoughts, but nothing mind-blowing. ( )

In The Art of Subtext, Minneapolis novelist Charles Baxter goes beyond many previous books on the writing of fiction. Baxter believes that fictional techniques work when they are rooted in basic cultural assumptions; therefore, his technical advice comes from a provocative meditation on who we are today. He asks why, for instance, writers no longer introduce characters with lengthy verbal portraits of their faces. To summarize Baxter crudely, it is because in a world of makeovers and simulations, we no longer trust appearances. The techniques by which an author creates subtext are important precisely because in our culture truth itself has gone underground. ( )

The first half of this book really had me going - it's beautifully written, to the point, and, most importantly, Baxter brings in illuminating examples to tease out his finer points. I admit, he had me with the title, and inside I found a statement that should be every critic's (and writer's, of course!) motto: "I don't want to simplify what is actually intricate" (p 49).

So what is the problem? Perhaps he lost me with the "Loss of Face" chapter, interesting as it was in itself. But in the latter half of the book, the ideas seem suddenly more vague, less digested, and the text flounders as a result. Although it is a short book, and commendably so, I am still unsure whether the latter half actually needs to be there. What does it add to the discussion? What subtextual elements are the focus? I am just not sure.

This was my first read of the book though, and I will definitely return to it again. I have read many books about the art of writing, and will probably read many more, but this is certainly one of the keepers. It is so much more sophisticated and useful than your regular "creative writing handbook". It certainly makes clear the central premise: the art of writing is the art of reading. It is a near obsessive attention to detail. It is to take the time to home in on what goes without saying. ( )