A blend of postmodern metafiction and old-style bedroom farce, The Journalist explores the elusive, sometimes illusive, boundaries between facts and the fictions we weave around them.

The novel's protagonist, living at a time that might be the present in a city that might be anywhere, has decided for reasons of mental hygiene to keep a detailed record of his thoughts, words, and deeds. Very quickly, however, the project begins to absorb his entire life, as the increasingly meticulous recording of experience threatens to supplant experience itself. To make matters worse, what he records offers its own grist for worry: his devoted wife suddenly grows secretive, his equally devoted mistress turns evasive, his frustratingly independent son might or might not be visiting that same mistress behind his back, and his closest friend begins acting in mysterious ways (and is it just his imagination, or is this friend having clandestine meetings with his wife?). His ever more convoluted perceptions breed a dark muddle of suspicion, leading to a climax that is at once intensely funny and excruciatingly poignant.

About the Author

Harry Mathews was born in New York City in 1930 and spent his adult life in the United States and in France, where he co-founded the influential journal Locus Solus with John Ashbery, Kenneth Koch, and James Schuyler in 1961. He was the first American member of the literary consortium Oulipo, alongside Raymond Queneau, Italo Calvino, and Georges Perec. His many writings, spanning novels, short fiction, poems, essays, and translations from the French, include The Conversions, Tlooth, The Sinking of the Odradek Stadium, Cigarettes, The Journalist, My Life in CIA, and The Solitary Twin. Mathews was honored by the French government as an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters and earned awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the National Endowment for the Arts. He died in Key West, Florida, in 2017.

Jonathan Lethem is the author of thirteen novels, including The Arrest and Chronic City, and his essays and stories have been collected in seven volumes. He’s received the Berlin Prize, The National Book Critics Circle Award, and a Macarthur Fellowship. He lives in Los Angeles and Maine.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

Roundabout Books is a bookstore for book people: an independent, locally-owned bookstore in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. Our physical shop is located in the old Diamond-Electric Soap Factory at 85 Pierce Street, just two blocks off Federal Street in Greenfield. We offer an extensive, organized, and thoughtful collection of used and new books at excellent prices. We hope you will find our store welcoming and that our love of books shows through in our work. If you are here in-person, come wander and browse an expansive collection of all genres, including poetry, science, history, literature in translation, and university presses. Enjoy our historic industrial building transformed, and envisioned as accessible and environmentally sustainable for the future. Please stop in or give us a call if you have questions for us!

Visit Seller's Storefront

Association Member

Members of these associations are committed to maintaining the highest standards. They vouch for the authenticity of all items offered for sale. They provide expert and detailed descriptions, disclose all significant defects and/or restorations, provide clear and accurate pricing, and operate with fairness and honesty during the purchase experience.

Seller's business information

Roundabout Books, Inc.
16 West St., Greenfield, MA, 01301, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

We guarantee the condition of every book as it's described
on the Abebooks web sites. If you're dissatisfied with your
purchase (Incorrect Book/Not as Described/Damaged) or if the
order hasn't arrived, you're eligible for a refund within 30
days of the estimated delivery date. If you've changed your
mind about a book that you've ordered, please use the Ask
bookseller a question link to contact us and we'll respond
within 2 business days.

Shipping Terms

Orders usually ship within 2 business days. Shipping costs are based on books
weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact
you to let you know extra shipping is required.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	5 to 10 business days	3 to 5 business days
First item	US$ 0.00	US$ 19.90

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.