At Swim-Two-Birds: Amazon.ca: Flann O'Brien: Books

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First Sentence
Having placed in my mouth sufficient bread for three minutes' chewing, I withdrew my powers of sensual perception and retired into the privacy of my mind, my eyes and face assuming a vacant and preoccupied expression. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

24 Reviews

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greats, Nov 19 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: At Swim-Two-Birds (John F. Byrne Irish Literature Series) (Paperback)

Flann's book is about as close to a perfect novel as you're likely to find. It is a masterpiece of style and composition. It has great characters vividly rendered. And it "breaks the ice" within us, as Kafka insisted all great art do. It's also very, very funny.

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5.0 out of 5 stars O'BRIEN IS YOUR ONLY MAN, Sep 5 2001

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"doerksen" (chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: At Swim-Two-Birds (John F. Byrne Irish Literature Series) (Paperback)

This book delivers so much pleasure that I find it impossible to remain physically still while reading it. It makes me wriggle.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Quare Bit of Bother, Aug 1 2001

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Michael S. Mahoney (Louisville, KY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: At Swim-Two-Birds (John F. Byrne Irish Literature Series) (Paperback)

Trying to describe this one long joke of a novel is a bit like retelling someone else's disjointed dream with Chinese sign language. Aach, why bother. Suffice to say, the wee man of many monikers made his reputation with this book, getting lumped in with those other tricksters of narrative form, some of them his countrymen in self-imposed exile. With multiple openings, this madcap book discards quare old conventions like consistent point of view and plot. A Dublin student goes mouldy in his bedroom while characters rebel against their slumbering creator and the barmy Sweeney hops from tree to tree. Horseman, if you're looking for linear progression, pass by. All clever parody of Irish literature and mythology aside, the novel has a reassuring warmth. The student, branded a dozey ne'er-do-well by his blockhead uncle, has a small but delightful triumph near the end that makes his part in O'Brien's tangled web particularly satisfying. A novel to be read when whimsical, when life has lost its vim and bubble.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars At Swim Two Birds
Excellent copy of the book, mailed in solid packaging, arrived safely and within a week of ordering. Highly recommend this dealer.

Published on Sep 2 2009 by T. N. Mackan

5.0 out of 5 stars I was absolutely riveted
This just might be the funniest book of the 20th century. I have seen this book and read it and . . . do you know what I'm going to tell you, I have loved this book. Read more

Published on July 14 2001 by Bill Given