From Amazon.com
A classic collection of essays now published in a new edition (with a new afterword by the author),
The Friday Book was the first work of nonfiction by novelist John Barth, author of
The Sot-Weed Factor,
Giles Goat-Boy, and
Chimera. Taking its title from the day of the week Barth would devote to nonfiction, the three dozen essays discuss a wide range of topics from the blue crabs of Barth's beloved Chesapeake Bay to weighty literary subjects such as
Borges,
Homer, and
semiotics. Even when taking on serious matters, Barth's essays are shrewd, playful, and often very funny.
Review
"[The] pieces that make up 'The Friday Book'...have a consistent tone of warm personal enthusiasm that is often beguiling."--Walter Kendrick "Whether discussing modernism, postmodernism, semiotics, Homer, Cervantes, Borges, blue crabs or osprey nests, Barth demonstrates an enthusiasm for the life of the mind, a joy in thinking (and in expressing those thoughts) that becomes contagious. Indeed, if you've ever wondered what modernism, postmodernism, and semiotics mean, you've found the right place to learn."--'Washington Post'
