Chapter 14 Summary

Kilgore continues on his journey and travels through West Virginia, where he sees a countryside destroyed by coal mining. Kilgore and the truck driver talk about various weird things including the local practice of snake handling. Kilgore thinks about steam power, coal, and coal mining. The company that performed most of the destructive coal mining in this part of the State was founded by Eliot Rosewater's ancestors, and is responsible for most of Eliot's considerable estate.

The truck driver recalls reading one bad novel and describes the plot. In the novel a roulette wheel randomly determines the value of art. Most art is assigned to the trash heap, while some rare pieces are randomly determined to be great works of art. The great art pieces enjoy huge popularity and sale for incredible sums. Eventually the roulette wheel is discovered to be rigged. Kilgore...