Thank you so much for this amazing video!! I'm starting my Barth's journey after reading his collection of short stories "Lost in the Funhouse" for my short story class which was an absolute terrific experince! It was like a whole new door to language and narrative opened for me. Very excited to deep dive into his works!!
Thanks for this fascinating introduction to John Barth. I wasn't familiar with his work, but your enthusiasm for his writing style and the selections you picked to read to us here are a great testament to what he achieved.
Another thought: Barth wrote four books about boats in a row. -Sabattical -Tidewater Tales -The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor -Once Upon a Time: A Floating Opera. Just thought that was funny.
Really appreciate the video. Finding things out in terms of information or even reliable information is sparse at best, and I feel like I would’ve never found of Barths passing without it.
I also recently filmed a video showing folks by John Barth collection. I started reading Barth back in the 70's. Barth is one of my favorite American writers. I enjoyed your video on Barth's works.
Hi, Johnny! I've been subscribed to you a while (on my personal RU-vid account), and your Barth video is excellent! You have such a pure adoration for literature, an earnest love that is so precious on BookTube. Thank you for reminding me to watch your vid again, a drift back to a conversation with a wonderfully bookish mind.
Very likely, yes. I read all of his books. That makes it feel almost obligatory that I create something covering the range of his output. There are a few other videos I want to complete first, but that one is definitely on the list of to-dos.
That edition feels great in the hand, though mine is starting to feel delicate once opened. It was nice flipping through his books once again. His works seem they may not stand the test of time-there are aspects I didn't cover in this video that hinder some of the re-reading experience; still, I could feel his singular voice, one that garners nostalgia now upon his leaving. Maybe I'll do a complete re-read someday, then assess how well his works retain their worth across time.
Nice to see some love for GILES. I don't know why so many people who loved Sot-Weed got filtered by it, I found it hilarious and engaging all throughout. Currently on LETTERS and it too promises to be quite a ride.
Yeah, perhaps the "academic" setting and nods toward academia generally feel obtuse, but once you get through a couple chapters it becomes clear the aspects of world-building at play and how much heart carries the story at its core.
I would avoid Dalkey’s new reprints. They’re littered with typographical errors. Their reprint of The Sot-Weed Factor didn’t even get the title right on the spine - it said “Sot-Weet.” Look for the old Anchor editions instead.
Good overview of Barth's works. I read his novels and Funhouse back in the late 70s, and his sense of humor really comes through especially in Giles and Sot-Weed. I hear him speak on our campus around the same time, the last time being when he was finishing LETTERS and read a selection to us. Great reader, also, along with T.C. Boyle (one of my favorites - WATER MUSIC is not dissimilar to SOT-WEED) and Sherman Alexie (ditto). Not sure how "significant" his works will remain - he always reminds me of Smollett and Sterne, with a wink in his eye to the reader.
Yeah, I get the sense that because John Barth is so playful he will fade in time, not enough profundity in his fixations, which is a shame as he has a musical brilliance to his prose and there is heart amid the joyous toying. I've yet to read anything by T.C. Boyle, though I've heard his name many times. Would you say Water Music is a good starting point?
@@ToReadersItMayConcern WATER MUSIC is an excellent start, then move onto THE ROAD TO WELLVILLE (there's a mediocre film of the novel, starring Anthony Hopkins and John Cusack, among others). THE WOMEN is one of his best - fictional account of Frank Lloyd Wright and the women in his life (spoiler: he was a jerk). Sample his early short stories, also!
