Julian Barnes: Thinks He's John Barth in a Good Way or Thinks He's John Barth in a Bad Way?

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I read A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters while on the bus last fall, and actually greatly enjoyed it: it managed to take the structural play of a whole lot of stuff I really go for (i.e. Barth, obviously) but basically conventionalize it, reduce it to a more straightforward novelistic form. (This sort of thing typically does not get me pissed off or up-in-arms -- e.g., I tend to like it when some band comes along and manages to adapt some sort of experimentalism I like into the format of the straight-up pop song.) Barth has done the same thing as he's gotten older, incidentally (On with the Story), and I've enjoyed that work as well.

Then when I was on vacation I read Love, Etc., as it was sort of lying around the apartment where I was staying -- and while it wrapped up quite clumsily and disappointingly, I again enjoyed. My two-book conclusion is now that Julian Barnes's program is basically a combination of basically Barth-like tricks with a more conventional novelist's attention to character and emotional detail, a sort of middle-splitting I'll probably never get really excited about, but tends to make for solid and enjoyable reading in the best senses. Unfortunately this theory leads me to believe that Flaubert's Parrot probably sucks.

― Nitsuh, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Incidentally, I left a napkin somewhere in Manhattan that says:

JB != JB

― Nitsuh, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i thought this was going to be about the Music Tapes. i've only read 'metroland' and it was dud, the bits about his childhood were good but then the protagonist grew into some boring stiff who might be the least interesting literary character ever.

― keith, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Flaubert's Parrot does indeed suck, so you might well be onto something here. I enjoyed 10.5 but it felt like a book that was playing up to me, like it was trying to make me feel clever for spotting the references and tying stuff together. But then again I was 16 when I read it and hence possibly overly sensitive and/or susceptible to that sort of thing.

― RickyT, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Barnes. He's alright I spose. Not nearly as clever as wot he fink he is tho.

― misterjones, Monday, 4 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I liked AHOTWI101/2C but then I made the mistake of reading Before She Met Me cause I liked the title. Do not do this.

― N., Monday, 4 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

five years pass...

JB != JB

― nabisco, Saturday, 26 January 2008 07:21 (seventeen years ago)

Anybody read his Dan Kavanagh books. They're great.

― Ned Trifle II, Sunday, 27 January 2008 16:59 (seventeen years ago)

does JB !=JB mean Julian Barnes is a more satisfying read than John Barth?

I've only read The Floating Opera, and it was a long time ago.

― Mr. Que, Sunday, 27 January 2008 17:02 (seventeen years ago)

"Flaubert's parrott" is an awesome,gentle and moving book (and it's not similiar to barth's style)

― Zeno, Sunday, 27 January 2008 17:08 (seventeen years ago)

Zeno 1 RickyT 0

Also I don't really follow the first posts thread at all. But ho hum.

― Ned Trifle II, Sunday, 27 January 2008 17:41 (seventeen years ago)

yes read Flaubert's Parrott, Nabisco. also the recent Arthur & George is a unique take on the historical novel

I have a couple of the Dan Kavanuagh mysteries, they're v. good, wonder why he stopped doing them?

― m coleman, Sunday, 27 January 2008 17:47 (seventeen years ago)

I eventually read the one that comes before Love, Etc., and liked that one better.

10 1/2 Chapters is the only one that really has that Barthy quality I was thinking of, so I probably got a skewed first take on Barnes.

― nabisco, Sunday, 27 January 2008 17:48 (seventeen years ago)

Oh and I did love 10 1/2 Chapters -- the first sign that it's terrific is that its publisher was willing to pay for a heavy-stock color pullout of a painting in it!

― nabisco, Sunday, 27 January 2008 17:50 (seventeen years ago)

Funny coincidence, about two hours ago I was in a bookstore trying to decide between a book by each of those authors. (I ended up going to a different bookstore and buying a third book instead, however.) I love John Barth but I've never read anything by Barnes.

― Maria, Sunday, 27 January 2008 17:53 (seventeen years ago)

anyone read through giles goat boy?

― cutty, Sunday, 27 January 2008 18:19 (seventeen years ago)

I have a couple of the Dan Kavanuagh mysteries, they're v. good, wonder why he stopped doing them?

I don't know, but I wish he hadn't. Going to the Dogs is probably the best but Fiddle City is excellent as well. Possibly a bit dated now - the 1980s! - but still great fun.

― Ned Trifle II, Sunday, 27 January 2008 19:05 (seventeen years ago)

Also, I note from a quick look at Amazon - out of print, which is shocking, but you can still pick up the paperbacks for pennies, although the omnibus with all 4 novels in is £20+.

― Ned Trifle II, Sunday, 27 January 2008 19:08 (seventeen years ago)

I forgot how much I enjoyed Talking it Over when I read it in Collidge.

― wanko ergo sum, Sunday, 27 January 2008 19:13 (seventeen years ago)

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