Ben's Reviews > Ryder

My first introduction to Djuna Barnes was through "Nightwood," which is a fantastic novel with rich prose and peculiar characters (Dr. Matthew O'Connor also appears in this work, but is not as developed yet). "Ryder" still contained rich prose - the novel mixes traditional prose rich in soliloquy with poetry, fables, and drawings (many of which were initially censored). The book is less structured than "Nightwood," however, in terms of plot (of which there is not much). The afterward by Paul West appropriately compares Barnes' style in this work - an anti-novel of sorts - with the anti-art of the Dadaists, particularly Max Ernst. It is also described there as a book that "looks forward to 'Ulysses'," particularly so because of the sumptuous prose. The words dance across the page, though the meanings are not always clear, even after careful dissection; it should be read again for this purpose if time permits. Overall, I found it a good work, but not nearly as rewarding as "Nightwood" by the time the reader reaches the end.