The Last Guru is a transitional work which marks an end to the thin characterizations and heavy-handed themes of Pinkwater's early fiction while anticipating the careful characterizations and thematic depth of his subsequent work. Harold is a precursor for Leonard Neeble, protagonist of Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars (1979; see separate entry, Vol. 9), another character with supernatural powers who governs his actions with common sense, though Leonard is given more depth than Harold and is surrounded by other well-developed figures such as Alan, whereas Harold stands mainly amidst caricatures and sketchy onedimensional figures. Also missing is the sense of wonder that typifies Pinkwater's fiction since the publication of The Last Guru. The blunt messages of The Last Guru tend to be replaced by subtler depictions of the virtues of being human, and the value of common sense and trusting oneself tend to be acted out rather...