What is the author's style in The River Why by David James Duncan?

The language throughout the novel is very descriptive and intellectual. The range of vocabulary is set for an advanced, college-level reader. The reader is often given a great insight into the surroundings or personality of the character through the humor and descriptions that are found within each passage. There are few chapters of heavy dialogue, which helps to convey the silence and solidarity that Gus encounters every day in life. Heavy dialogue is present rarely in the novel, and it typically exists to show his parents fighting or to better illustrate the personality of a particular character, such as in the case of Irving talking for his dog Descartes.