In his 1987 introduction to the Anchor Literary Library edition of his early novels, Barth remarks that his first novel, The Floating Opera, reflects the influence of French existentialist thought in post-World War II America.

Most conspicuous in Barth's assimilation of existentialism is the notion of the world's absurdity. Barth describes this as the ultimately arbitrary nature of existence and the accompanying recognition that this absurd existence is the basis of human experience.

In Barth's first published novel, his protagonist, Todd Andrews, is able to avoid suicide in part by his own incompetence; however, his subsequent rationalized rejection of suicide is more significant. Reasoning that nothing has intrinsic value, Todd concludes that all decisions based upon value judgments are ultimately matters of opinion, including the decision to take his own life. Each of Barth's subsequent protagonists confronts this dilemma in some form. While his novels are often...