(3 of 3)
It's a telling point. Irony, the enemy of deep feeling and strong belief, is a defense mechanism that too often produces unearned cynicism and cheap effects. Good satire pricks hypocrisy, but it also has a tragic dimension that reminds us of our common fate. "Heavy," as they used to say. But the best of each generation gropes for new forms of authentic expression. Based on their current output, Wallace, Franzen, Antrim and Moody are, without a doubt, among American fiction's most promising works in progress.
--With reporting by Andrea Sachs/New York