The Complete Works

The Complete Works compiles Djuna Barnes' writings across multiple genres, including her novels, poetry, plays, short stories, articles and drawings. The collection spans her entire career from the 1910s through the 1970s. Barnes' journalism pieces document life in New York City and Paris in the early 20th century, while her fictional works often center on complex relationships and social outcasts. Her distinctive illustrations and sketches appear throughout, demonstrating her parallel career as a visual artist. The compilation includes Barnes' major works like Nightwood and Ryder, along with harder-to-find pieces from literary magazines and newspapers. Extensive notes provide context about the historical and biographical circumstances behind each piece. Barnes' writing style combines modernist experimentation with gothic and classical influences to explore themes of gender, sexuality, and alienation. The collection reveals her evolution as a writer who pushed boundaries in both form and content.

Readers note Barnes's experimental writing style and gothic sensibilities. Several reviewers compare her prose to James Joyce and Virginia Woolf, though some find her work more challenging to parse. Readers appreciate: - Poetic, dense language - Complex character psychology - Exploration of gender and sexuality - Dark humor throughout - The variety between her novels, plays, and poems Common criticisms: - Difficult to follow narratives - Obscure references require extensive footnotes - Inconsistent quality across different works - Some poems and short pieces feel underdeveloped Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (327 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (12 reviews) Several readers specifically highlight "Nightwood" as the standout work. One reviewer called the language "intoxicating but exhausting." Another noted it "requires multiple readings to fully grasp." Some suggest starting with her shorter works before tackling longer pieces. Most reviews acknowledge the writing demands careful attention but rewards close reading.

Orlando by Virginia Woolf A time-traveling narrative explores gender fluidity and identity through centuries of European history with a similar modernist approach to Barnes's experimental style.

The Passion by Jeanette Winterson This tale of passion set in Napoleonic Europe weaves magic realism with queer themes and nonlinear storytelling that echoes Barnes's complex narrative structures.

Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov The unconventional structure combining poetry and prose creates a labyrinthine narrative that matches Barnes's intricate literary techniques.

The Waves by Virginia Woolf Six internal monologues interweave through time to create a modernist tapestry that shares Barnes's focus on consciousness and experimental form.

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg This narrative of gender identity and social rebellion in mid-20th century America connects to Barnes's exploration of sexuality and societal constraints.

🔹 Djuna Barnes was a self-taught artist who created illustrations for many of her own works, including detailed pen-and-ink drawings that accompanied her journalism pieces and books 🔹 During her time in Paris in the 1920s, Barnes became part of an influential literary circle that included James Joyce, T.S. Eliot, and Gertrude Stein 🔹 Barnes's most famous novel, "Nightwood" (included in The Complete Works), was praised by T.S. Eliot as a work of "great achievement" and he personally edited the book for publication 🔹 Though she lived to be 90 years old, Barnes became increasingly reclusive in her later years, rarely leaving her Greenwich Village apartment and posting a sign on her door that read "I am not here to be interviewed" 🔹 The Complete Works includes Barnes's groundbreaking early journalism, where she pioneered a form of immersive reporting by participating in her stories – including getting force-fed to write about suffragettes and being rescued from a building by firefighters