Jack's review
At Swim-Two-Birds (John F. Byrne Irish Literature Series)
by Flann O'Brien
Jack's review
At Swim-Two-Birds (John F. Byrne Irish Literature Series) by Flann O'Brien
Jack's review
rating:
recommended for: fans of Joyce, that other worshipped man
Having been told that no one writes like the Irish, and, being half myself, I have made it a point only recently to begin exploring those writers that are considered to be important, and in my search this book came up and I found a brand new copy at my library. I gave it two stars instead of one because I was able to finish it in the hopes that something might, I don't know, happen? In the beginning, the language and the style felt compelling, until I realized, much like another "important" book, 'The Glass Bead Game' by Herman Hesse, it was more like intellectual masturbation. Read the first ten pages, then skip to the last, compare the feelings you have both times. Then ask yourself the question that has been beaten to death, signing yourself on as a member of the cliche club: Who gets to say what important literature is and why?
The Irish writers I feel deserve such credit are:
John Banville
Aidan Higgins
William Trevor
Frank O'Connor
The Irish writers I feel deserve such credit are:
John Banville
Aidan Higgins
William Trevor
Frank O'Connor
