If there's a fault in the Shields literary canon, it's that he's too smart for his own good, relies too heavily on his mind, and feels appropriate in transcending basic plot convention. I overheard, for example, some pedants at the Strand last Saturday:

"...he's ostensibly boring to anyone who doesn't belong to his inner circle of quick witt'd peers. Sure, I'd fuck him, but it would be more for his tongue and not his fingers..."

And it's true, perhaps, that one would find him without substance or depth, without genuine emotion, and without, perhaps, a personality that is personal.

He chooses to write about his observations, but seemingly and purposefully leaves out how these very observations weigh on him. The observations are powerful, but they are fleeting and temporary, and we come to the conclusion that it is the observer that we truly want to know.