Some of Barthelme’s stories are too abstruse or precious for their own good. And then some of Barthelme’s stories are simply marvelous, near-perfect constructions that make games of form, language, and genre—sometimes hilariously deadpan and ironic, but rarely insincere or false.

Finished this book a few weeks ago. Although a few of the stories in this collection put me off, many others opened my eyes to how well post-modern fiction can be achieved.

Donald Barthelme writes well, even when breaking the common rules of grammar and composition. A note to all the wannabe post-modernists: get a better grasp of the basics before you try and dismantle them.