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I was nearly ready to settle my mind on my favorite books of the year until this guy popped up. I had read a couple other books by Barth and had enjoyed both, but don’t think of them as favorites by a long shot. He has a similar voice to a lot of other writers of his generation, so is easy to compare to Barthelme, DeLillo, Bernard, Pynchon, even Saunders, which is a hard group to shine in. About halfway through the final novella of Chimera I realized what a technical marvel this work is. In terms of narrative structure, syntax, plot devices, and thematic consistency Barth is a standout. This is an incredibly accomplished novel. I feel like this one was really fun to read especially as an amateur writer, simply because of how many tricks he pulls off and with such fluency. Lots of stories within stories, future and past intruding on the present, perspective changes and so on. It’s a new favorite.