Of primary interest in A Fan's Notes is failure — failure to thrive as a "player" in the "game" of life, failure to attain fame, to fulfill the promise of early athletic prowess, failure to be esteemed, celebrated in a culture where success proves illusory. In this novel Exley maintains the American Dream is a nightmare, seducing the unwary into despair, drugs, mental illness. He claims our cultural insistence on "winning," finishing first at all costs, is bankrupting the spirits of individuals, our moral store.

Through the vehicle of a national obsession with football, Exley (the author) ensures that Exley (the narra tor) remains a fan, a spectator. That few participate while many watch from the sidelines is central to Exley's suggestion that "the game" is rigged, a romantic delusion, sure to disappoint if not destroy. Derek Mahon writes: "Exley-the-narrator seeks love and fame; like Gatsby...