What is the author's style in A Thousand Clowns by Herb Gardner?

The traditional literary hero demonstrates particular virtues, such as courage, nobility, or integrity. The term "hero" is sometimes used simply to mean the central character of a work of fiction (also called the "protagonist"), whether or not this character is more worthy than other characters, but more commonly the term refers to a central character who displays or acquires these heroic qualities. When the protagonist of a modern work lacks heroic qualities, as Murray Burns does, he or she is referred to as an anti-hero.