Buster Keaton In His Own Time
What the Responses of 1920s Critics Reveal

For the record, Wes D. Gehring has a chair as distinguished professor of telecommunications at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana. With a half dozen previous books to his credit, mostly on film comedy, he certainly knows his stuff. What he needs, in the worst way, is an editor. His prose is seldom graceful, frequently impenetrable, not always grammatical, and above all relentlessly repetitious.* By the time the man has cleared his throat, a proper orator would have wrapped up his peroration. What a shame. I, for one, would love answers to the question his subtitle raises. A close reading of the "prologue" and one chapter (36 pages), plus extensive skimming, have left me none the wiser. Like the cover of this book? Me, too. But look no further.