Flann O'Brien At War: Myles na gCoopaleen, 1940-1945

by Flann O'Brien

"At War is a collection of Flann O'Brien's columns written for the "Irish Times under the pseudonym Myles na Gopaleen. Taken from the war years of 1940-45, these writings provide plenty of acerbic wit and persistent prodding of "the good people of Ireland."

Genres: Irish Literature, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Pseudonym of Brian Ó Nualláin , also known as Brian O'Nolan.

His English novels appeared under the name of Flann O’Brien, while his great Irish novel and his newspaper column (which appeared from 1940 to 1966) were signed Myles na gCopaleen or Myles na Gopaleen – the second being a phonetic rendering of the first. One of twelve brothers and sisters, he was born in 1911 in Strabane, County Tyrone, into an Irish-speaking family. His father had learned Irish while a young man during the Gaelic revival the son was later to mock. O’Brien’s childhood has been described as happy, though somewhat insular, as the language spoken at home was not that spoken by their neighbours. The Irish language had long been in decline, and Strabane was not in an Irish-speaking part of the country. The family moved frequently during O’Brien’s childhood, finally settling in Dublin in 1925. Four years later O’Brien took up study in University College Dublin.

Flann O'Brien is considered a major figure in twentieth century Irish literature. Flann O'Brien novels have attracted a wide following for their bizarre humour and Modernist metafiction.

The café and shop of Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich (www.culturlann.ie), at the heart of the Belfast Gaeltacht Quarter, is named An Ceathrú Póilí ("The Fourth Policeman"), as a play-on-words of the title of O'Brien's book The Third Policeman.

Reviews

[Uvrón · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Some wretched readers may take the view that today at least they are entitled to a holiday from my discourses and that they should, for once, be spared the agony, humiliation, shame and tears which contact of humans with my mind must ever mean."

So I'll keep it short. (It fits on the bookshelves better that way.)

[Jilly Gagnon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This being a collection of newspaper columns, I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more with a bit of context (I never thought I'd miss norton annotated editions), but O'Brien's cleverness, wit, and sheer absurdity shine through even in the most Irish/historically referential (and thus confusing) pieces.

[Max Nemtsov · Rating 5 out of 5]

у книги отличное предисловие, из которого становится чуть более понятен масштаб всего этого гиперромана под названием "Бурливый горшочек": 4 миллиона слов (около 100 авторских листов), выходивших четверть века мелким шрифтом до 6 раз в неделю. это три с лишним тысячи текстов (некоторые - с картинками). что, собственно, дает редактору право организовать текст так, как он это делает - в некое подобие связного нарратива. он, по сути, накладывает на весь этот объем наследия Майлза некую маску, а их можно накладывать какое угодно количество, и результат всякий раз будет другой.

из хайлайтов (среди множества): раскрывается тайна имени Генри Джеймса и вскрываются источники происхождения людей-паровозов, а также присутствуют два гениальных гэга: "я тоже был ирландцем, но теперь излечился" и "газеты - говно, прочел всю от корки до корки, и ни одного приличного гекзаметра".

[Bro_Pair أعرف · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just read it

[David Crowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny, though I missed plenty of it. The era references left me arriving late to the joke, and more than once I felt I was listening from the corridor. Witty, mean-spirited in the best way, and endlessly inventive, with jokes that arrive sideways and arguments that pretend to be serious. When I did catch it, it was sharp enough to make up for the misses. A book that makes you laugh, then makes you wonder whether you should.

[Stephen Hero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Other than perhaps sporange, a very rare alternative form of sporangium *, orange has no perfect rhymes **.


* A botanical term for a part of a fern or similar plant.

** Keep in mind that lozenge is a valid half-rhyme *** for orange.

*** What's the difference between a full rhyme and a half-rhyme? A full and stressed rhyme (e.g. hand / stand) or even an unstressed rhyme (such as handing / standing) contain vowels that are common to both words, while a half-rhyme like orange / lozenge has obvious differences between the vowels in certain syllables ****.

**** The technical term for a half-rhyme is 'pararhyme'.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cruiskeen Lawn Columns that O'Brien penned as Myles na gCopaleen are an excellent example of the bygone art of humorous and interesting newspaper columns. This collection focuses on those written during WWII. They are highly enjoyable, but I recommend reading his fiction first.

That being said, these will have immediate appeal to anyone who liked Don Marquis' columns featuring Archy the Free Verse Cockroach.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another collection of wonderfully strange columns from the Irish Times by the great Flann O'Brien. Not all top shelf and many of the references are over my head or long gone with the generation that was reading the original pieces, but he's a damn peer of Joyce and Beckett. I just can't not give Flann O'Brien 5 stars, so sue me.

[David Markwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flann O'Brien is a comedic genius and this collection of his Irish Times writings from the WWII era will not disappoint. If you are unfamiliar with O'Brien you could not do wrong by picking At War up and reading it through.

[Aine MacAodha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another witty and funny book of shorts from this man as Miles Na gCoplaeen.

[Tom]

Intermittently clever, but I much prefer O'Brien's novels.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Irish Times columns from the Second World War. Absolutely fantastic.

[Shashi Martynova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again -- absolutely my type of genious.