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From: swift@reed.UUCP (Theodore Swift)
Newsgroups: net.books
Subject: Re: Re: Lawerence Block & Richard P. Feynman: my reviews.
Message-ID: <1251@reed.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 4-Apr-85 16:00:50 EST
Article-I.D.: reed.1251
Posted: Thu Apr  4 16:00:50 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 6-Apr-85 02:39:45 EST
References: <2388@drutx.UUCP>
Reply-To: swift@reed.UUCP (Ted Swift)
Followup-To: net or whatever
Distribution: net.books
Organization: Reed College, Portland, Oregon
Lines: 17
Keywords: Feynman, writing style
Summary: In Defense of Feynman 


In response to the complaint that Feynman's writing style is a
bit immature in his quasi-autobiography (I would call it more
and autobiorgaphiclal collection of anecdotes)  I have two "corrections"
to make.  I'm reading the book now and, while I agree that
the style is somewhat simplistic, I think it 's because the stories
were / are transcriptions of interviews, and
as such, are written in the style of a spoken narrative.
The book is co-authored by (I've forgotten
his name) and I think he just sat down with Feynman and a tape deck.
There seem to be constant reminders that this is as Richard would
say something rather than how he would formally write it.  Things
like italicised "BRRRRRRRR" 's to describe machine noises strike
me as things spoken rather than written.  If you keep this in mink,
the effect is not so distracting.
  I just hope that more of RPF's impressions and experiences get into
print.