When John Barth's Lost in the Funhouse appeared in 1968, American
fiction was turned on its head. Barth's writing was not a response to
the realistic fiction that characterized American literature at the
time; it beckoned back to the founders of the novel: Cervantes,
Rabelais, and Sterne, echoing their playfulness and reflecting the
freedom inherent in the writing of fiction.
This collection of Barth's short fiction is a landmark event, bringing
all of his previous collections together in one volume for the first
time. Its occasion helps readers assess a remarkable lifetime's work and
represents an important chapter in the history of American literature.
Dalkey Archive will reissue a number of Barth's novels over the next few
years, preserving his work for generations to come.