The Complete Novels
by Flann O'Brien
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 43)
Read in March, 2008
Great collection for fans of Irish literature, and a real find if you've never read O'Brien. Only caveat is that the writing is very Irish, and it helps to have some background. For instance, "The Poor Mouth" (tr. from Gaelic), though funny in its own right, is a wicked sendup of traditional Gaelic-language works such as Tomas O'Crohan's "The Islandman" (the other four novels were written in English). The weird and wonderful "At Swim-Two-Birds" is worth the price of...more
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not quite sure i'd put o'brien with joyce and beckett, at least not yet. but he's damn close. read the first two novels. "at swim-two-birds" is a wild multi-narrative that weaves ancient, modern, literary and other voices wonderfully. "the third policeman" is a tighter, ultimately more compelling vision of hell that partnered well with my recent re-reading of dante's "inferno." i'll probably try at least one more of the 5 novels here, "the dalkey archive&q...more
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Despite a recent critical revival (and an appearance on "Lost"!), O'Brien's novels still aren't all that widely read, and this is an affordable way to get exposed to his hilarious, inventive work.
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Read in June, 2008
06/04/08: Just finished At-Swim-Two-Birds Was considering skipping The Third Policeman, since I read it last year, but I guess I'm partying hard with this book. WOOOOOO.
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recommends it for:
Christy Anderson
As the French have with literary sex, the Irish have with the down and out.
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the beautiful binding is distracting me.
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