it's interesting when she talk about Red and Black, it's been a long time after reading Standhal's Red and Black, but it's good that I almost remember every details with Julien Maddma Renal, etc. and also cool about Dostoyevski, Crime and Punishment. but it's a little way too self-esteem when she said, "if I remember it right, or I dont remember the name" something like that, it makes the book less academical, I don't know. maybe I know too little about Mary McCarthy, but seems her voice likes Susan Sontag's a little bit. and about Balzc, Dickens, I have little interest in them, so I finished it quickly, and looking forward to getting a chance to read her novel. anyway, it's good, a casual book on ideas and the novel. but I think, you cannot just make up a theory and told readers that's the ideas of novel of my opinion.