"Molesworth studies Barthelme's progression, and regression, as ironist, humorist, and serious writer through all six original collections of short fiction: Come Back, Dr. Caligari (1964); Unspeakable Practices, Unnatural Acts (1968); City Life (1970); Sadness (1972); Amateurs (1976); and Great Days (1979). He also touches on two novels, Snow White and The Dead Father, and the "nonfiction" collection, Guilty Pleasures. Molesworth's study is an appropriate complement to Barthelme's latest collection, Sixty Stories, an anthology gathered from the fiction collections examined in this critical work. Molesworth demonstrates that Barthelme is a true innovator within the medium of the short story."--Jacket.