AT SWIM TWO BIRDS: WHO KNEW??? After recently watching Season 1 of the British comedy "Black Books", I discovered that the show's writers were influenced by author Flann O'Brien: an Irish author (contemporary of James Joyce) whom I frankly had never heard of. The show's main character (for those who haven't seen it) is a drunken, surly bookshop owner who is my new hero (since I have worked in a book store for the last 6 years and still have 2 weeks to go). This character can definitely be seen as having been inspired by the narrator of "At Swim Two Birds". O'Brien satirized Irish literature in his magnum opus "At Swim Two Birds" which has been universally praised by authors such as James Joyce himself and Graham Greene while simultaneously managing to sell very little and escape my notice completely. Until now, that is. I picked up the book today (not the old edition pictured here sadly but only a modern paperback edition).

The book has three separate beginnings and, in fact, three separate stories; it is indeed very much concerned with satirizing Joyce's writing style and can be quite funny and perplexing. It's also notable that the book has no chapters; it just continues right thru to the end. I began reading it this evening and, around page twenty-something, decided to put it down to make a pot of coffee. I am now at page sixty-something and have not managed to put it down till now. I guess you can call it a page turner. I'm not exactly sure why. I found myself unable to stop reading it. Here's what it's about in a nutshell; taken from The Dalkey archive Press synopsis:

"A wildly comic send-up of Irish literature and culture, At Swim-Two-Birds is the story of a young, lazy, and frequently drunk Irish college student who lives with his curmudgeonly uncle in Dublin. When not in bed (where he seems to spend most of his time) or reading he is composing a mischief-filled novel about Dermot Trellis, a second-rate author whose characters ultimately rebel against him and seek vengeance. From drugging him as he sleeps to dropping the ceiling on his head, these figures of Irish myth make Trellis pay dearly for his bad writing. Hilariously funny and inventive, At Swim-Two-Birds has influenced generations of writers, opening up new possibilities for what can be done in fiction. It is a true masterpiece of Irish literature. Brian O’Nolan wrote under the pen names of Flann O’Brien and Myles na Gopaleen. He was born in 1911 in County Tyrone. A resident of Dublin, he graduated from University College after a brilliant career as a student (editing a magazine called Blather) and joined the Civil Service, in which he eventually attained a senior position. He wrote throughout his life, which ended in Dublin on April 1, 1966. His other novels include The Dalkey Archive, The Third Policeman, The Hard Life, and The Poor Mouth, all available from Dalkey Archive Press."

Praise for O'Brien: "That's a real writer, with the true comic spirit. A really funny book."—James Joyce "At Swim-Two-Birds has remained in my mind ever since it first appeared as one of the best books of our century. A book in a thousand . . . in the line of Ulysses and Tristram Shandy."—Graham Greene "Flann O'Brien is unquestionably a major author. His work, like that of Joyce, is so layered as to be almost Dante-esque. . . . Joyce and Flann O'Brien assault your brain with words, style, magic, madness, and unlimited invention."—Anthony Burgess"

The man was utterly mad and I kinda recognize a kindred spirit. I plan on reading "The Third Policeman" next. I'll let you know if I survive it.