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peebee's review against another edition
5.0
The New Owner should be taught to kids instead the pledge of allegiance
briandice's review against another edition
4.0
I am so glad that I came to Donald Barthelme by way of Charles Baxter. And after reading Barthelme's short fiction, I understand more fully why Dave Eggers felt like a thief after reading Barthelme following the publication of his fiction. He's an original, a genre defining giant, and his writing just doesn't give a shit whether or not you get it (admittedly several stories, I didn't) - he's plowing forward without you.
"Some of us had been threatening our friend Colby" (found here for free http://www.jessamyn.com/barth/colby.html) is genius. The opening line to "Bluebeard" is so great - I don't want to ruin it by typing it here. I agree with other people that Barthelme isn't for everyone; but if you are a fan of the short fiction genre, and you want to experience one of the godfathers of the craft in the late 20th century, I highly recommend this book.
"Some of us had been threatening our friend Colby" (found here for free http://www.jessamyn.com/barth/colby.html) is genius. The opening line to "Bluebeard" is so great - I don't want to ruin it by typing it here. I agree with other people that Barthelme isn't for everyone; but if you are a fan of the short fiction genre, and you want to experience one of the godfathers of the craft in the late 20th century, I highly recommend this book.
lookhome's review against another edition
3.0
I read this in spurts over the course of the last few months. There are a few "fine tales" in here, The palace at four am, at the tolstoy museum, Blubeard, the Educational Experience & The Baby.
It contains a wide range of stories but it is widely inconsistent.
I disliked far more stories than I liked and I just barely finished it. However, the stories' short length makes for great bedtime reading...At least they allow your eyes to decompress from a compute screen.
A quote on the jacket of my editon said "He can sound like S.J. Perelman or Groucho Marx one mins and like hugo or Kafka the next", so its bound to attract different tastes and different preferences.
As a result, know that you will love, hate and ultimately feel very little throughout the various stories.
A friend gave me a copy of the book and I read it because I saw somewhere that David Foster Wallace likes him. I read The balloon, which is the specific short story Wallace mentions. It's much better than anything in this book.
Read at your own risk of lost time...
It contains a wide range of stories but it is widely inconsistent.
I disliked far more stories than I liked and I just barely finished it. However, the stories' short length makes for great bedtime reading...At least they allow your eyes to decompress from a compute screen.
A quote on the jacket of my editon said "He can sound like S.J. Perelman or Groucho Marx one mins and like hugo or Kafka the next", so its bound to attract different tastes and different preferences.
As a result, know that you will love, hate and ultimately feel very little throughout the various stories.
A friend gave me a copy of the book and I read it because I saw somewhere that David Foster Wallace likes him. I read The balloon, which is the specific short story Wallace mentions. It's much better than anything in this book.
Read at your own risk of lost time...
nhcfriedman's review against another edition
5.0
Just delightful. Highlights:
Chablis
Concerning the Bodyguard
Jaws
The New Owner
Engineer-Private Paul Klee Misplaces an Aircraft between Milbertshoffen and Cambrai, March 1916
Bluebeard
Departures
Visitors
The Wound
At the Tolstoy Museum
The Temptation of St. Anthony
Some of Us Have Been Threatening Our Friend Colby
Sakrete
Most of the others have lovely redeeming features too.
Chablis
Concerning the Bodyguard
Jaws
The New Owner
Engineer-Private Paul Klee Misplaces an Aircraft between Milbertshoffen and Cambrai, March 1916
Bluebeard
Departures
Visitors
The Wound
At the Tolstoy Museum
The Temptation of St. Anthony
Some of Us Have Been Threatening Our Friend Colby
Sakrete
Most of the others have lovely redeeming features too.
edboies's review against another edition
5.0
God, I read this book so long ago. I just came upon another copy and I can't wait to read it again.
captainsilv's review against another edition
1.0
I honestly have no idea what this book is about.
A collection of short stories that make no sense whatsoever. Shrug.
A collection of short stories that make no sense whatsoever. Shrug.