Point of View

Wittman's point of view is the most essential element of Tripmaster Monkey, His Fake Book. Typically, authors and critics reduce novels to those that are plot-driven and those that are character-driven. In the spirit of experimental novelists such as James Joyce, Kingston has created a unique, demanding novel that is point-of-view-driven.

The plot is merely a framework for the revelation of the universe, as filtered through Wittman's fertile consciousness. Much the same effect could have been achieved had Wittman never left his apartment, with the entire novel occurring within his head. Characters and events are merely a foil for the revelation of Wittman's thoughts and personality. By illustrating the rich and varied imagery available to Wittman because of his dual cultural heritage, Kingston makes a strong argument that ethnicity is a tremendous asset, and an essential part of the American experience.

An occasional passage includes an...