Nicholson Baker Summary

Nicholson Baker is a novelist and essayist whose reputation rests on two distinct talents. First, he is an exquisite miniaturist, unmatched among his contemporaries in terms of his lavishly detailed a... Read more

In the following excerpt, Towers discusses the dialogue, characters, and storyline in Vox, noting that the work is an amusing read. Nicholson Baker is a fiction writer of great charm who may or may... Read more

In the following essay, Chambers explores the narratological and philosophical significance of open-ended digressions and subjective contemplation in The Mezzanine. Contrasting Baker's novel wi... Read more

In the following review of The Fermata, Eder finds fault in the novel's distasteful preoccupation with voyeurism and sexual exploitation. Poor Achilles. He never could catch that tortoise, n... Read more

In the following review, Parks criticizes The Fermata, noting that despite “the hilarity of some of the set pieces” and many astute observations, the book quickly becomes overbearing. ... Read more

In the following review, Schine provides a negative evaluation of The Fermata, denouncing the repetitive use of euphemisms and the tedium associated with the retelling of an act over and over. In h... Read more

In the following review, Loose commends the comedy and complex ruminations in U and I, noting its examination of the rivalry between Baker and author John Updike. U and I, an idiosyncratic essay on... Read more

In the following review, Krusoe praises The Size of Thoughts, complimenting the obsessive detail and evolution of style presented in the essays. I suppose that the two things I've always res... Read more

In the following review, Wood examines the variety of essays in The Size of Thoughts, commenting on the strengths and weaknesses of various pieces. Wood praises the humor and passion evident in severa... Read more

In the following review, Eder criticizes The Everlasting Story of Nory, asserting that the book fails in its attempt to depict the perspective and language of a nine-year-old girl. As a child late ... Read more

In the following review, Charles praises The Everlasting Story of Nory, lauding its ability to evoke the innocent, simple, and “miraculous” world of childhood. My six-year-old daughte... Read more

In the following essay, Saltzman provides an overview of Baker's life, writings, literary style and thematic concerns, and critical reception. Nicholson Baker has established himself as cont... Read more

In the following essay, Kniffel discusses Double Fold and Baker's efforts to preserve historical newspaper collections from destruction. Author and activist Nicholson Baker has again taken a... Read more

In the following review, Star compliments Double Fold, but finds flaws in Baker's narrow defense of print artifacts and his failure to consider content value as a criterion for preservation. ... Read more

In the following review, Eder discusses U and I, commenting that the work seems to be a plea directed at John Updike for acknowledgment. In The Mezzanine, Nicholson Baker extracted a whole personal... Read more

In the following review, McFadden examines the plot, style, and characters in Vox, noting the clever humor and wordplay. Reader, would you pick up the phone? Thank you. Nicholson Baker's ... Read more

In the following review, Buchan comments on Vox and U and I, acknowledging that Baker is a talented writer, but panning the works for their descriptions of common, everyday events in minute detail. ... Read more