The Dead Father (Contemporary American Fiction) - Softcover

Barthelme, Donald

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140086676 ISBN 13: 9780140086676

Publisher: Penguin Books, 1986

Synopsis

The half-dead, half-alive, part-mechanical, all-powerful Dead Father, inexhaustible source of the city's life, law, and order, is dragged by nineteen fervent volunteers, across a surreal landscape toward an anticipated revitalization

About this title

About the Author:

Donald Barthelme was one of the most influential American novelists of the 1970s and 1980s, bringing a unique postmodern voice to his novels, short stories and essays. He died in 1989.

From Publishers Weekly:

Dennis Holland delivers a well-paced, entertaining performance of Barthelme's classic. As the titular character—the Dead Father, a huge, half-dead, semimechanical godlike ruler—is dragged by a group of his children across his lands toward his burial spot, bizarre and increasingly absurd exploits and conversations unfold. Holland, a seasoned reader of Barthelme's work, does ample justice to the tone and spirit of the text. His comedic timing is superb, as is his voice for the Dead Father. While the narration will delight Dead Father devotees, listeners less familiar with the author's work may be confused by the novel's experimental style and unconventional plot structure, which transitions unsteadily to audio book. A Farrar, Straus & Giroux paperback. (Feb.)
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About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Publication date: 1986
• ISBN 10: 0140086676
• ISBN 13: 9780140086676
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192