Julian Barnes, born in Leicester, England, now lives in London and has gained critical acclaim from his first four novels Metroland, Before She Met Me, Flaubert's Parrot, and Staring at the Sun. However, one must not forget his intriguing, witty novel, A History of the World in 10 ½ Chapters written in 1989. This literally ten and a half chapter book focuses primarily on the turning points in history with one twist - the story is relayed through the voice of a woodworm who claims to have been a stowaway on Noah's ark. Julian Barnes uses this sardonic character's account to convey humanity's inferiority, mendacious nature, and culpability for history repeating itself.

There are several occasions where Barnes exhibits humankind's exiguity in comparison to other species. Varadi had been the "youngest and strongest of Noah's sons" (Barnes 5): "But whatever the truth behind Varadi's disappearance, it was a severe loss to your...