Discussion of this novel will be successful to the degree that it grants a depth of complexity not usually accorded to the discussion of a specifically "male" posture in American society — whether taken in relation to the female or not. A movement past cliche is therefore in order; perhaps an attention to McGuane's portrayal of the limits of artistic sensibility is the best starting point.

1. To what extent is Sonny Starling's conversion to cold-hearted banker a betrayal of the independent, self-reliant ethic of the American West? What is the significance of Joe's dreams wherein his father appears?

2. Joe Starling is not a failure as an artist, as his father fears he will be.

Why then does Starling's art fail him?

Why is "art" insufficient here to support a continued sense of self-worth, of happiness or meaning?

3. What exactly is symbolized by the painting in the...