Sixty Stories

Sixty Stories is a collection of short fiction by Donald Barthelme, first published in 1981. The book compiles selections from his previous collections along with newer works. The stories range from one-page fragments to longer narratives, incorporating elements of surrealism, satire, and experimental forms. Barthelme's characters navigate both mundane and fantastical situations: conversations between balloons, encounters with inexplicable phenomena, and peculiar workplace dynamics. The pieces reject conventional plot structures in favor of collage-like arrangements of dialogue, lists, and cultural references. Barthelme draws from sources including pop culture, literary theory, art criticism, and advertising language. The collection exemplifies postmodern approaches to storytelling while exploring themes of alienation, authority, and the limitations of communication. Through fragmentation and juxtaposition, the stories challenge readers to question established narrative conventions and meanings.

Readers describe the stories as experimental, absurdist and challenging, with fragmented narratives that reject traditional storytelling. Many note the dark humor and satirical elements throughout the collection. Positive comments focus on Barthelme's creative use of language, clever dialogue, and ability to capture modern alienation. Readers appreciate the surreal imagery and philosophical themes. Several reviewers mention the stories improve with multiple readings as layers of meaning emerge. Common criticisms include the abstract nature of many stories, lack of clear narrative resolution, and difficulty connecting emotionally with characters. Some readers find the experimental style pretentious or unnecessarily complex. Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (4,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (90+ ratings) LibraryThing: 4.1/5 (500+ ratings) Notable reader comment: "Like watching a skilled juggler toss around fragments of American culture, advertising slogans, and literary references while maintaining perfect comic timing." - Goodreads reviewer

The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor The stories merge grotesque characters with dark humor and surreal situations to explore human nature through a Southern Gothic lens.

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men by David Foster Wallace The collection experiments with form and narrative structure while examining contemporary masculinity through fragmented conversations and unconventional storytelling techniques.

The Collected Stories by Donald Antrim The narratives blend psychological insight with absurdist scenarios in tales of family dynamics and personal identity.

Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman Each story presents a different version of the afterlife through conceptual vignettes that challenge perceptions of existence and consciousness.

The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami The collection combines magical realism with everyday life in urban Japan through stories that shift between reality and dream-like states.

🔸 Many of the stories in "Sixty Stories" first appeared in The New Yorker magazine, where Barthelme was a regular contributor for over 30 years and helped define the magazine's distinctive literary style. 🔸 Barthelme wrote these postmodern stories while teaching creative writing at various universities, including the University of Houston, where he helped establish their Creative Writing Program. 🔸 The collection includes "The Balloon," perhaps Barthelme's most famous story, which describes an enormous balloon that mysteriously appears over Manhattan—a metaphor that critics have interpreted dozens of ways. 🔸 Several stories in the collection experiment with unusual formats, including "The Glass Mountain," which is told in 100 numbered statements, and "Me and Miss Mandible," which takes the form of a diary written by an adult who has been mysteriously sent back to elementary school. 🔸 Though published in 1981, the collection spans work from throughout Barthelme's career and showcases his trademark style of mixing high culture references with pop culture, creating collages of conventional narrative and experimental forms.