September Books 6) The Third Policeman

[nwhyte]

6) The Third Policeman, by Flann O'Brien

One of many benefits of going through the bookshelves for the sake of Library Thing is the rediscovery of old friends. This is such an enjoyable work of genius. I don't think I'd picked it up for ten years, but at one point in my life I was able to quote wholesale from the atomic theory:What is a sheep only

Comments

[mr_renaissance]

The Literary Encyclopedia tells me: "The Third Policeman" is a story about academic obsession, a fable about crime and punishment, and, according to some, it is even a commentary on Einsteinian physics.

I'm intrigued (academic obsession also reminds me of the last Vila-Matas novel I read and enjoyed), I feel I just have to read this now...

[nwhyte]

I think it would be right up your street!

Plus, I have a spare copy. I'm in the Balkans all next weeek but perhaps we can catch up in October and I can lend it to you.

[mr_renaissance]

That would be great.

I've still got enough books to tide me over for a while, even at the rate I'm going through them lately. *lol*

[sammywol]

Molycules! gotta love those molycules!

[communicator]

I love that book. Have you read 'At swim two birds' a retelling of the Frenzy of Suibhne?

[nwhyte]

Yes, of course! Though I still think The Third Policeman is his masterpiece.

[slovobooks]

Flann's brother, Micheal Ó Núalláin, who is an artist, once did a mural in the form of a map of Ireland, based on incidents from his brother's work. He even had it made into a poster, although he never went to the trouble of putting this on the market, and, to the best of my knowledge, has them still. I mention this because I was going to write to him this week, to see if I could inveigle a few of them from him. If that happens to be the case, do you want one?

[nwhyte]

Gosh, yes!