Chimera
320 pages.
Original publisher: Random House.
Current publisher: Fawcett Crest.
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Synopsis
This is another of Barth’s best novels. Chimera, like the mythical creature it’s named after, consists of three interconnected novellas — one about Scheherazade from A Thousand and One Nights fame (yet another Barth obsession), one about the Greek hero Perseus, and one about the lesser-known Greek hero Bellerophon.
Those interested in Barth’s observations on the state of story-telling today need look no further than Chimera. The first segment, “Dunyazadiad,” boldly confronts the fear that we have run out of stories to tell, and brilliantly answers it by stating that the storytelling itself is the key.
Barth shared the National Book Award for Chimera in 1973 with John Williams for his Augustus, a fictional memoir of Roman emperor Augustus Caesar. (Barth had been nominated in 1956 for his Floating Opera, but lost.)
Critical Reaction
“The whole is stylish-maned, tragically songful and serpentinely elegant.”
— Washington Post
Resources
- Review by The New York Times
- Barth’s acceptance speech for the National Book Award in 1973
- Online study guide for “Dunyazadiad”
- A great online synopsis of the Greek myth of Bellerophon, complete with animated cartoons.
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