John Barth published 13 novels, 6 short story collections and 1 non-fiction book, beginning with The End of the Road (1958). The best-known is The Sot-Weed Factor (1960).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with John Barth
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The Sot-Weed Factor
John Barth's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
The End of the Road (1958)
The Sot-Weed Factor (1960)
Giles Goat-boy (1966)
Chimera (Nov 1972)
Letters (1979)
Sabbatical: A Romance (1982)
The Tidewater Tales (1987)
The Floating Opera and The End of the Road (1988)
The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor (1991)
Beautiful Swimmers (1994)
Once Upon a Time: A Floating Opera (1994)
Coming Soon!!! (2001)
Every Third Thought (2011)
Short story collections in order
Lost in the Funhouse (1968)
Further Fridays (1995)
On with the Story (1996)
The Book of Ten Nights and a Night (2004)
Where Three Roads Meet (2005)
The Development (2008)
Non-fiction in order
The Friday Book (1984)
About John Barth
John Simmons Barth was an American writer best known for his postmodern and metafictional fiction. His most highly regarded and influential works were published in the 1960s, and include The Sot-Weed Factor, a whimsical retelling of Maryland's colonial history; Giles Goat-Boy, a satirical fantasy in which a university is a microcosm of the Cold War world; and Lost in the Funhouse, a self-referential and experimental collection of short stories. He was co-recipient of the National Book Award in 1973 for his episodic novel Chimera.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
John Barth FAQ
- How many books has John Barth written?
- John Barth published 13 novels, 6 short story collections and 1 non-fiction book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read John Barth's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Sot-Weed Factor.
- What is John Barth's last book?
- Every Third Thought (2011).
- What is John Barth's most famous book?
- The Sot-Weed Factor (1960) is John Barth's most widely read book.
Authors like John Barth
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.