In another review in The New York Times John Leonard wrote that while the book has its strong points , " some wit , a catholic disdain , multiplicity of character and a South American swamp @-@ life that terrifies " , its weaknesses are that " the characters are really ideas , ... the symbols clash and there are too many echoes of better books by Kafka and Proust " . But Leonard 's biggest criticism of the book was Hitler 's speech , which he called " obscene " , and Steiner 's decision to end the book at that point , which Leonard said " not only denies the power of art to arrange and transcend , but ... makes me sick to my stomach . "