“Writers closely observe the world and record their observations. When we remark that a novel is "finely observed," we are praising the writer's ability to bear witness. This bearing witness is composed of two acts: the author's initial observation in the real world, and then the translation of that observation into prose. The more "finely observed" the text, the better we readers recognize the thing or event in question. (Again-seeing and acknowledging are different activities.)”