How many ways can you spell pedant?

Oh, by the way, my previous post was inspired by a letter I received about a review – a rave review, by the way – that I wrote about Jess Walter’s new novel, “Citizen Vince.”

“Your review of ‘Vince’ – while it ignored the main point of the novel (it’s a bildungsroman ) – as well as many of the other highlights, at least has the virtue of being parochial enough (‘Gee – he writes real good about Spokane!’) so it will stimulate interest among local readers.”

A bildungsroman , by the way, is defined as “a novel which traces the spiritual, moral, psychological, or social development and growth of the main character from (usually) childhood to maturity.”