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The Third Policeman

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

26 posts | 28 read | 1 reading | 18 to read

The Third Policeman is Flann O'Brien's brilliantly dark comic novel about the nature of time, death, and existence. Told by a narrator who has committed a botched robbery and brutal murder, the novel follows him and his adventures in a two-dimensional police station where, through the theories of the scientist/philosopher de Selby, he is introduced to "Atomic Theory" and its relation to bicycles, the existence of eternity (which turns out to be just down the road), and de Selby's view that the earth is not round but "sausage-shaped." With the help of his newly found soul named "Joe," he grapples with the riddles andcontradictions that three eccentric policeman present to him.The last of O'Brien's novels to be published, The Third Policeman joins O'Brien's other fiction (At Swim-Two-Birds, The Poor Mouth, The Hard Life, The Best of Myles, The Dalkey Archive) to ensure his place, along with James Joyce and Samuel Beckett, as one of Ireland's great comic geniuses.

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blurb

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

This is how my daughter brought this upstairs. She pulled it out of our rather small letterbox, because it had been hanging out of the slot. š š š š¤¬š¤¬ Not the first letter that arrived like this.

The tagged book inside the envelope is unharmed, fortunately.

I think this is from you, @Cathythoughts. Thank you!

#BookMail

squirrelbrain š� 4y

Buechersuechtling Rhetorical question: Why don‘t the mail-delivery-people just ring the doorbell to say: ā€I drop something that obviously doesn‘t fit your letterbox.ā€¯ Is this so hard to doā¯“And yes, I am completely aware, that in times of pandemic they have a heavy load to do. But anyway. Where did virtues like ā€common politenessā€¯ go toā¯“š¤” A question I already wondered about yesterday after coming home from grocery shopping. People were crazy. 98 % egomaniacs. 4y

Cathythoughts The tagged book ! Yes, it is from me ... it‘s our birthday season my best birthday twin š�³š�³š�³ let‘s enjoy it. Delighted you got it XXX 4y

See All 12 Comments

Cathythoughts Sorry about your postman š™„š . I‘m glad the book is ok š‘¨š¸» 4y

GingerAntics How is that popping open? It almost looks likes the adhesive isn‘t staying. 4y

Velvetfur Oohh that's just insulting š� 4y

julesG @Buechersuechtling It fit into the letterbox. But, as you wrote, common politeness is a foreign word for most people. 4y

julesG @Cathythoughts Thank you! Yes, let's enjoy the birthday season. ššˇ‚ 4y

julesG @GingerAntics no idea. There's some black foil sticking to some of the adhesive. Might have popped open on the way. 4y

Cathythoughts Julia , I received a BD book A Month in the Country .... is this from you I wonder ? 4y

julesG @Cathythoughts No, that's not from me. The book I ordered was sent off two days ago. It certainly takes a bit longer to arrive. 4y

Cathythoughts Thanks for letting me know. I‘ll post this one up so & find out. XX 4y

56 likes12 comments

review

The_Penniless_Author

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

Pick

pick

An unnamed protagonist and his soul (named "Joe") undertake a journey through a hallucinatory Ireland, musing upon the writings of a crackpot philosopher named de Selby, who believes that life is immaterial- that is, a figment, constructed of omnium, a thing with no definite substance, only a force. There are also three policemen, as you might expect, experts in "Atomic Theory", which explains the gradual transformation of humans into bicycles.

review

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

Pick

pick

This was absolutely bizarre, laugh out loud funny at the same time as being genuinely existential, and immensely Irish. It‘s so rare for 20th century literary ā€classics‘ to be so funny but this really was, and I recommend it to anyone needing something surreal in these very odd times.

erzascarletbookgasm Oh thanks! I‘ll shortlist this, I‘ve been looking for a book that #makesyouLOL 5y

81 likes6 stack adds1 comment

review

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

Pick

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I'm sorry, what? I have no idea what was going on here but it was bonkers and brilliant. O'Brian creates a tone that is both hilarious and deeply unsettling, you'll laugh but you'll fear that is hysteria under the surface. Approach with caution, only suitable for those who enjoy surreal postmodern works with existential rambling, mad tangents, and bicycles. ALL THE BICYCLES.

saresmoore I think it‘s the bicycles that made me want to go for it. 6y

Moray_Reads @saresmoore Did your arrive on a tricycle? Perhaps a penny-farthing? Is it too do with a bicycle? 6y

45 likes2 stack adds2 comments

quote

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

What is happening?!

saresmoore Erm... 6y

Owlizabeth š¤” 6y

LeahBergen Say what now? 6y

See All 7 Comments

Moray_Reads @saresmoore @Owlizabeth @LeahBergen I finished it and I still have no idea. But it was BRILLIANT! 6y

saresmoore š‚ Of course it was. 6y

vivastory I'm after papers for a bull 6y

Moray_Reads @vivastory I might have known š¤£ 6y

30 likes7 comments

review

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

Pick

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Read in high school during IB, i love this surrealist bicycle book.

1 stack add

review

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

Pick

pick

Hilarious, terrifying, surreal, and absurd. Fun use of footnotes, too. ā€Is it about a bicycle...?ā€¯

blurb

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

I‘m spending as much of this snowy day reading as I can.

review

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

Bailed

bailed

It seemed like there might be a story here, at first. But no. Some funny bits, though, and the audio narration was wonderful. But if there is anything at all actually happeningā€”highly doubtfulā€”I certainly don‘t give a rat‘s ass about it. Bailed a quarter of the way in.

quote

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

LeahBergen A snorter! š‘¨š¸» 7y

40 likes1 comment

quote

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

Lindy Ha! Great quote. 7y

34 likes1 comment

quote

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

saresmoore I love. 7y

41 likes1 comment

quote

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

ā€¼ļø¸ā€¼ļø¸

#QuoteOfTheDay

blurb

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

#litsyclassics #t @Sarah83 #ukroadtrip #countytyrone

review

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

Pick

pick

Suspend not only disbelief for this book. Suspend everything including the dictionary and just go with it. I cannot explain what I've just read, I can only vaguely compare it to a mixture of Kafka, Terry Gilliam, Alice in Wonderland, and obscure academic brawl.

vivastory Sold! 7y

Leniverse @vivastory Hah. Yes. I would not recommend this universally, as a lot of people will no doubt consider it incomprehensible and pretentious tosh, or the drug induced ravings of a scholar with a mental breakdown. But I enjoyed it, and I predict you will too. š‚ 7y

vivastory O'Brien always struck me as Joyce, except funnier. 7y

Leniverse @vivastory He had a very complicated relationship with Joyce and hated being compared with him. š‚ But he is so clearly influenced by him. Joyce is also a rather befuddled character in The Dalkey Archive. 7y

28 likes1 stack add4 comments

blurb

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

Now that's a strong opening line!

vivastory I really need to read this one 7y

Leniverse @vivastory Yes... it's... very strange. After two chapters it sort of goes all grownup version of Alice in Wonderland. I suggest reading The Dalkey Archive as well, as the two books are linked. Although I don't think it matters what order you read them in. 7y

vivastory I've been wanting to read O'Brien for years now 7y

Leniverse @vivastory I actually found The Dalkey Archive in Poundland, of all places. That's the UK equivalent of the Dollar Store. 7y

25 likes1 stack add4 comments

blurb

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

Some books by Irish authors I picked up at the library today (and a Simon Schama in the background).

#NorthernIreland

JazzFeathers š¨š¨š¨ 7y

Libby1 I loved that the flower matched my book, @JazzFeathers ! 7y

43 likes2 comments

blurb

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

Done with The Wicked Pavilion, and on to The Third Policeman. Page count so far, 108. #readathon

blurb

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

Good start of the week with bookish mail š

blurb

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

Yeah! It's #24in48 time! Better too many books than not enough! #readathon

BekahB Yep! I'm going in with a big stack too. I know I won't read everything, but I like to have choices š€ 8y

14 likes1 comment

review

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

Pick

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One of my favourite books . Loved it when I read it a few years back , and sticks with me . By the way , hello everyone .

review

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

Pick

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Absolutely mind bending! And a riot-my favourite joke being, the narrator is in the Garda station trying to report the loss of an American watch. But the guard is trying to convince him it's a bike he's had stolen. Apparently there's been a spate of bike robberies (sure what turf cutting man wouldn't want a bike). Last week they found some wheels, a bell and a saddle. And it took the three guards nearly 5days to frame the chargesš‚š‚š‚š‚

19 likes2 stack adds

blurb

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

A darkly comic satire about a murder-sign me upā¯¤ļø¸ā¯¤ļø¸

23 likes1 stack add

review

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

Pick

pick

An excellent, darkly funny novel. If you like British humor, this is for you. If you like sci-fi, this is for you. Definitely on my top ten list. Do NOT read the introduction to the book, for some unknowable reason it contains spoilers.

review

The Third Policeman | Flann O’Brien

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Brilliant. It almost made me afraid of bicycles after reading it.