Barnes Discusses Philip Roth's The Counterlife

Julian Barnes discusses Philip Roth's novel The Counterlife with John Freeman for Critical Mass, the blog of the National Book Critics Circle Board of Directors (September 25, 2007).
Read the interview.

Excerpt from the Interview:

Q: Does this book speak to you about your own work? I feel of all your books, A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters is most similar to it. Did The Counterlife influence the writing of that book, or any other of your works?

A: I was certainly well advanced in thinking about my History when The Counterlife came out, and had already started writing it. So: no. It seems to me that I can and do admire Roth the more easily because I don't think he has the slightest influence on me. But then, I would say that, wouldn't I?