Donald Barthelme Livres

This collection showcases the work of a twentieth-century master who transformed the short story genre with his innovative narratives. Each tale reflects his unique style and creativity, offering readers a glimpse into the unforgettable characters and themes that define his literary legacy. The compilation serves as both a tribute to his influence and a comprehensive exploration of his contributions to storytelling, making it essential for fans of the genre.

This collection features sixty-three rare and previously uncollected works by a renowned master of American short stories. It showcases the author's distinctive style and thematic depth, offering readers a unique glimpse into their literary genius. Each story reflects the intricacies of human experience, making this anthology a valuable addition for both longtime fans and new readers alike.

Audacious and murderously witty, this collection features sixty stories that blend American culture with urban upheavals, transforming them into frontier myths. The narratives include surreal travelogues reminiscent of Kafka, alongside cryptic dialogues that explore deep human emotions and existential concerns. Barthelme's mastery of language and perception creates an unsettling yet irresistible reading experience, showcasing his unique ability to capture the complexities of contemporary life.

An alternative history in fiction form which explores such concepts as the function of myth in history and the role of royalty in the modern world. King Arthur is rediscovered doing battle with the Nazis, and the grail to end all wars appears to be a bomb.

The narrative centers around a unique character, a colossal being that embodies both life and machinery, who is being pulled toward an enigmatic destination. Through inventive language, Barthelme crafts a fictional realm that challenges conventional storytelling. The introduction highlights the author's artistic freedom, allowing readers to experience a blend of humor and existential reflection, ultimately evoking a sense of vitality amidst the absurdity. This work stands as a significant influence on contemporary fiction, showcasing the potential for creative expression.

This collection is a companion to the long-established and highly successful Modern Short Stories One and its essential aims are the same: to offer stories of high literary quality which, though written for adults, can be enjoyed and appreciated by adolescents. The fifteen stories included are by distinguished writers from Africa, America, Australia, India, Ireland, Italy and Great Britain; and within their artistic context several of them deal with the special personal and social concerns of society today.The collection includes stories by the likes of Dorothy Parker, Maeve Binchy, Garrison Keillor, Peter Carey, Flannery O'Connor and Nadine Gordimer.

“Eccentric, dazzling…the literary conversation piece of the year.” – San Francisco ChronicleAn American short story writer and novelist acclaimed for his playful, postmodern style of short fiction, Barthelme’s first novel, Snow White , is a countercultural, experimental reconstruction of the Disney version of the traditional fairytale.In Barthelme’s modern day world, Snow White is a seductive woman waiting for her prince to return to New York. Pushing the bounds of fiction and form, Barthelme subverts the classic tale, prompting The New York Times to call him “a splendid practitioner at the peak of his power” and inspiring a new generation of authors including Charles Baxter, Dave Eggers, and David Gates.

Donald Barthelme is a puckish player with language, a writer of short but endlessly rewarding comic gems, a thinker and an experimenter. In these nine short stories, whether writing about a hairy, donkeyish king or a touching, private gesture of city-sized proportions, his is a surreal, deadpan genius.

Simon, a middle-aged architect separated from his wife, is given the chance to live out a stereotypical male fantasy: freed from the travails of married life, he ends up living with three nubile lingerie models who use him as a sexual object.Set in the 1980s, there's a further tension between Simon's desire to exploit this stereotypical fantasy and his (as well as the author's) desire to treat the women as human beings, despite the women's claims that Simon can't distinguish between their personalities.Employing a variety of forms, Barthelme gracefully plays with this setup, creating a story that's not just funny—although it's definitely that—but actually quite melancholy, as Simon knows that the women's departure is inevitable, that this "paradise" will come to an end, and that he'll be left with only an empty house, booze, and regrets about chances not taken.