One thing I like about books is that you get to watch the characters develop and grow as they complete their journey. In Nicholson Baker's The Mezzanine , you read about the narrator going through a short journey up an escalator. When I first started reading I was sure I would hate the book because it seems like there is almost no plot. I love getting to know a character, and I was skeptical that I would learn anything important about the narrator. The narrator, Howie, seems to have a reluctance to reveal himself to the reader. Throughout the book we follow Howie’s thoughts as he rides up the escalator. We learn about his lunch break and his thoughts on random things he is reminded of throughout the book. At first, it seems that we will learn nothing about the narrator except his random opinions. While reading I realized we do learn a lot about the personal life of Howie, but some of those things are hidden throughout the book. Initially it seems like Howie will have no charact...