At Swim-Two-Birds

by Flann O'Brien, William H. Gass (Introduction)

Overview

Along with one or two books by James Joyce, Flann O'Brien's At Swim-Two-Birds is the most famous (and infamous) of Irish novels published in the twentieth century. Or to put it as Dylan Thomas did: "It establishes Mr. O'Brien in the forefront of contemporary writing. . . . This is just the book to give your sister if she's a loud, dirty, boozy girl!"
The story of an Irish college student who—half to amuse himself and half to avoid work—writes an irreverent novel about the figures of Irish myth and legend in which characters come to life and riot against their author, At Swim is a wildly comic send-up of Irish literature and culture which had a major influence on writers coming after O'Brien, including Anthony Burgess, Gilbert Sorrentino, and William H. Gass (who has written an introduction for this edition).
O'Brien opened up a whole new world of possibilities for fiction as subsequent novelists have played with his zany ideas, chief among them being the idea that characters in fiction have earned the right to be "recycled"—after all, they've proven their reliability as characters!—not put out to pasture once their stories are finished.

"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)

"'Tis the odd joke of modern Irish literature—of the three novelists in its holy trinity, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett and Flann O'Brien, the easiest and most accessible of the lot is O'Brien. . . . Flann O'Brien was too much his own man, Ireland's man, to speak in any but his own tongue." (Washington Post)

"At Swim-Two-Birds is both a comedy and a fantasy of such staggering originality that it baffles description and very nearly beggars our sense of delight." (Chicago Tribune)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781564781819
Publisher:	Deep Vellum Publishing
Publication date:	09/01/2005
Series:	Irish Literature
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.52(w) x 8.01(h) x 0.96(d)
Lexile:	1120L (what's this?)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Flann O'Brien, whose real name was Brian O'Nolan, also wrote under the pen name of Myles na Gopaleen. He was born in 1911 in County Tyrone. A resident of Dublin, he graduated from UniversityCollege 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. Also available are three volumes of his newspaper columns: The Best of Myles, Further Cuttings from Cruiskeen Lawn, and At War.

William Gaddis (1922-98) stands among the greatest American writers of the twentieth century. The winner of two National Book Awards (for "J R" [1976] and "A Frolic of His Own" [1995]), he wrote five novels during his lifetime, including "Carpenter's Gothic "(1985), "Agap? Agape" (published posthumously in 2002), and his early masterpiece "The Recognitions" (1955). He is loved and admired for his stylistic innovations, his unforgettable characters, his pervasive humor, and the breadth of his intellect and vision.

What People are Saying About This

James Joyce

"That's a real writer, with the true comic spirit. A really funny book."

Philip Toynbee

"If I were a cultural dictator in England I would make At Swim-Two-Birds compulsory reading in all universities."

Editorial Reviews

'Tis the odd joke of modern Irish literature—of the three novelists in its holy trinity, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett and Flann O'Brien, the easiest and most accessible of the lot is O'Brien. . . . Flann O'Brien was too much his own man, Ireland's man, to speak in any but his own tongue.

Washington Post

At Swim-Two-Birds is both a comedy and a fantasy of such staggering originality that it baffles description and very nearly beggars our sense of delight.”

Chicago Tribune

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

If I were a cultural dictator in England I would make At Swim-Two-Birds compulsory reading in all universities.”

Philip Toynbee

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

At Swim-Two-Birds is a marvel of imagination, language, and humor.”

New Republic

"A real writer, with the true comic spirit. A really funny book."—James Joyce

"This is just the book to give your sister if she's a loud, dirty, boozy girl!"—Dylan Thomas

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

From the Publisher