A Cast of Shadows

Much like the kaleidoscope of characters populating The Public Burning (1977), this novel presents a diverse yet superficially crafted ensemble. This lack of depth is intentional, as the narrative explores the shallow nature of its characters. Coover cleverly unfolds the story through Gerald's self-absorbed gaze, a perspective that reduces others to mere reflections of his ego. Gerald pigeonholes those around him; his wife becomes "Betty Crocker," a domestic figure ensnared in the chaos of a surreal gathering. He's unfazed by Alison's traumatic experience, instead lamenting how it might affect her attraction to him. Even his friend Vic's demise at the hands of a policeman stirs little more than a murmur of regret in Gerald, despite their bond being severed over Gerald's indiscretion with Vic's daughter.

The Rational Clown

Standing apart from Gerald’s psychological projections is the inspector, a figure who embodies Coover's fascination with the absurdity of reason. This character, like many of Coover's analytically obsessed figures, dons the guise of a buffoon. Within Pardew, Coover delves into his recurring theme of the elusive nature of knowledge. The inspector rejects the notion that Ros's death was an "arbitrary indeterminate and random act," yet his investigative methods teeter on the brink of absurdity. He orchestrates an odd watch-confiscation, ultimately deducing—with dubious logic—that the murder transpired a full thirty minutes post-arrival of the police. His cohorts, Fred and Bob, are a farcical blend of Keystone Kops slapstick and Gestapo brutality, terrorizing Ros's bereaved husband and framing an innocent man, leaving Gerald to face the grim aftermath.

Epistemological Quandaries

Despite Pardew's fervent belief in a logical framework for criminal investigation, he reveals his own contradictions while confiding in Gerald's mother-in-law. He shares with Gerald that his methodical approach is merely a "discipline" to ready himself for inspiration, admitting that his greatest insights spring from a mystical muse named Truth, who he believed he recognized in Ros. This peculiar passion drives his exhaustive examination of the crime scene, suggesting that such rigid impositions on life's chaotic unpredictability may spiral into epistemological chaos akin to Gerald's Party.