Chimera

It's the book I wanted. No major marks, it looks like it came from a public library, as it has the checkout card in the inside cover and it's a library binding (Which is nice) but the book did not come with the dust cover. Wish it would have.

This is one of the finest works by a fine author. Several scenes and lines from it have entered my personal mythos.Each of the three novellas is a gem in its own way, and the trio work beautifully together. In each, the basic idea is to show a legendary figure as a real human being. We see Perseus after his glory days have passed, for example, and also meet Bellerophon who secretly feels that he has been a faker all along. But it's much more than yet another retelling of old legends.It will make you think. It will probably also make you laugh in places and move you in others.The wrapup is unexpected. Some will love it; some will hate it.Do yourself a favor and read this. It's well worth the price of the paperback.

Fast delivery and condition of book as expected.

Trash. Absolute trash. One gets tired of games and "modern" technique. Tell me a story. Tell it well. Stop showing off. What a waste of time and money. I can get more post-modern claptrap from the back of a box of cereal. The joke is on the ones who think this is Great Literature.

Have never left negative feedback before, but this book was so heavily marked, that I can't read it...Packaging was nice, though...

It disappoints me that this book has such a low review average on Amazon and Goodreads, but it does confirm Barth's occasional comment in this very book--that people don't read novels anymore. Or rather, if they read them, they want to be entertained rather than to think. Which is fine, but I cant recommend reviewing a post-modernist book if you don't know or like the genre. And Amazon reviewers, please don't bother reviewing a book if you admit you couldn't finish it. I wouldn't call this the most accessible piece of fiction ever written, but it's really not that hard to keep it straight if you pay attention. Rather, a reader should begin with open eyes--this is not a book that one can read a few minutes at a time over the course of a month. I read most of it all at once on a plane and then the rest that night in my hotel room, which is possibly why I enjoyed it so much. It is the kind of book that demands a reader's full attention and engagement.That is to say--for readers who want to engage with a text, rather than be merely entertained by it, this is quick and wonderful read. John Barth is a reader's writer, so yes, the book is a long post-modern retelling of myths the reader should at least have heard of. But metafiction is somewhat masturbatory for the author, and Barth seems to acknowledges this in some of his asides. This is part of what makes the book so funny, in my opinion...the book was clearly written by a writer who was writing for his own amusement, not just to make a lot of money. It is pretentious but aware of its own pretension.For instance, although two of the stories are ostensibly about a middle aged hero searching for meaning, they imply a larger metaphor of a middle aged author trying to overcome writer'a block, who, just as the "genie" in the first story supplies Scheherazade with her stories to retell as she will, freely borrows from classical mythology and toys with them to infer more meaning into his overarching themes. Throw in quite a few jokes which both mock and show great support for the feminist movement (this was written in 1972) and voila! A book which, perhaps, has more meaning for the author than anybody, but which may have meaning for many readers as well. An important concept of metafiction is the role of the reader, and although one would think that a 27-year old female such as myself would find little in common with the overarching themes of étude and middle aged maleness, I'm familiar enough with the trope in fiction of the era (John Updike, anyone?) to appreciate the humor, the thematic compliments, and to sympathize because after all we all feel that way sometimes, middle aged white male or not. Besides, most of the female characters are wise enough to recognize and mock the theme, and there's even a dead horse thrown in toward the end.If metafiction, with its asides and references and self-deferential jokes, is what you're in the mood for, I highly recommend this book. If you're looking for an easier read, there are millions of options.

Though somewhat uneven throughout, John Barth's Chimera is an enjoyable and complex read, particularly for those with an interest in Ancient Mythology and Post Modern fiction. This "novel," written sometime after Giles Goat-Boy and Lost in the Funhouse, is comprised of three very loosely connected novellas, all taking post-modern slants on classic mythological stories."Dunyaziad" is a brief recounting of the 1001 Arabian Nights and the plight that Princess Scheherazade and her sister faced after recounting those 1001 stories to their tyrannical husbands. Don't worry if you've never read the real 1001 Nights: Barth provides enough context that you'll quickly figure out what's going on. You'll probably want to go out and read the original tales after you're done, because he does a great job of making these tales seem mysterious and intriguing."Perseiad" is tale of Perseus and his mid-life crisis after slaying Medusa and separating from his wife. This is definitely the best tale of the three and is very similar to Barth's earlier tales "Menelaiad" and "Anonymiad" from Lost in the Funhouse. The digressions are minimal, the plot perfectly formed (spiralic if you will), and the sense of impotency, confusion, and frustration very tangible."Bellerophoniad" is a self-conscious imitation of "Persiad" and probably the most difficult story of the three. It definitely has its good parts, but some of the post-modern digressions (particularly the lengthy account of characters originally found in Giles Goat-Boy, and notes from a lecture delivered on Barth's fiction itself) can really be tedious.Once again, don't be frightened off by the copious references to mythological characters and events, even if you aren't previously familiar with them. Barth goes out of his way to bring you up to speed, even citing a passage from Robert Graves' The Greek Myths to give you a very literal account of Bellerophon's myth. All of Barth's trademark wit and complexity are here, and there is plenty of sex, violence, and humor (sometimes all three at once) to keep you entertained. If you are a new reader to Barth, you are much better off reading The Sot-Weed Factor or Lost in the Funhouse, but to those who already consider themselves devoted fans, this is a must-read.