["The Words of My Roaring"] really operates on two levels. On one level, it is an attempt to show a man who comes to at least a partial understanding of himself. On another level, it is supposed to be funny. I think it was Steve Allen who wrote that the first requisite of a successful comedian was that the audience like him. The best wit will fail when the audience has an antagonism toward the performer. This is the problem with "The Words of My Roaring." Johnnie [the protagonist] isn't very likeable. There are a number of counts one might bring against him. He is an alcoholic of sorts. But this is certainly forgiveable. He commits adultery. Well, even this. He is a rotten provider for his family. But perhaps more importantly, he is just plain stupid. He has virtually no sense of laughter himself; no ability, or wish, to understand other people. The humor of the book fails because of his excessive stupidity. The attempted psychological penetration also fails for this reason. For the story is told completely through the eyes of Johnnie. And he is just not sensitive enough to understand what is going on. His sudden moments of truth fall flat. He seems much more believable when he tells the reader, as he does constantly, that he is six-foot-four and very powerful. Much more believable but not very interesting.