Library :: Research Guides

JOHN BARTH

Scope|Circulating Books|Critical Sources|Periodicals, Journals, & Trade Publications|Web Sites

SCOPE: John Barth has been described as a “concocter of comic novels.” As a contemporary novelist, Barth often takes a pessimistic view of the world. Suicide and the meaningless of life are some of the themes in his works. Barth often resorts to jokes, pranks, parody, and other stylistic devices to make his philosophy palatable. (Magill, Critical Survey of Long Fiction)

CIRCULATING BOOKS

Books of John Barth’s works are listed in our on-line catalog under, “Barth, John,” and under individual titles.

Books written by and about John Barth have the call number(s)
PS 3552.A75

Some representative books from the circulating collection that are located upstairs in the library are:

Harris, Charles B. Passionate Virtuosity: The Fiction of John Barth. Urbana: University Of Illinois Press, 1983.

The Review of Contemporary Fiction: John Barth/David Markson Number.
Elmwood Park, Ill: Review of Contemporary Fiction, 1990.

CRITICAL SOURCES

There are books in the Reference Collection that do not circulate but pages may be photocopied. These resources provide an overview or summary of the topic.

The following titles are appropriate to this topic:

PR 881.C69 2001 Contemporary Novelists

PR 821.C7 1991 Critical Survey of Long Fiction

PS 21.D5 Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 2 American Novelists Since World War II

PN 771.M3 1991 Major 20th-Century Writers

PERIODICALS, JOURNALS, & TRADE PUBLICATIONS

Click the links for a list of full text journals available through our databases in:

WEB SITES

North American Postmodern Fiction and Film
http://www.eng.fju.edu.tw/English_Literature/barth/

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Updated 08/20/2007