thedeadfatherisagargantuanhalf-dead,half-alive,partmechanical,wise,vain,powerfulbeingwhostillhashopesforhimself--evenwhileheisbeingdraggedbymeansofacabletowardamysteriousgoal.inthisextraordinarynovel,markedbytheimaginativeuseoflanguagethatinfluencedagenerationoffictionwriters,donaldbarthelmeofferedaglimpseintohisfictionaluniverse.