Subject
Pale Fire / The Third Policeman (F. O'Brien) (fwd)
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From: "Christopher Berg" <tentender@hotmail.com>
>Having just read Flann O'Brien's novel THE THIRD POLICEMAN (written
1940
>or so), I wonder if anyone else has been struck by the book's
remarkable
>similarities to PALE FIRE? Structure (in this case a story interleaved
>with frequent scholarly interruptions on the work of a fictional [and
>clearly mad] philosopher scientist), themes (scholarship, madness,
>death), even the issue of authorial identification (possibly even more
>convulted in the case of the O'Brien than in PF -- if that's possible).
>Also, perhaps most importantly, the reader's uncanny chill while
>reading, especially the remarkable final chapters. The evocation of the
>"otherworld" -- possibly not the same one that VN evokes so frequently,
>but a dark mirror image of it -- is detailed and extraordinary.
>
>I am away from home and don't have my SO index with me, but I don't
>recall VN making any reference to this wonderful writer. Does anyone
>know whether he (VN) was acquainted with F O'B?
>
>This book is so good I cannot believe that his more famous book (At
>Swim-Two-Birds) is any better. (But I will be finding out for myself
>immediately!)
And has anyone seen a production of O'Brien's version of the Capeks'
INSECT PLAY?
>
>Christopher Berg
>
>______________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>Having just read Flann O'Brien's novel THE THIRD POLICEMAN (written
1940
>or so), I wonder if anyone else has been struck by the book's
remarkable
>similarities to PALE FIRE? Structure (in this case a story interleaved
>with frequent scholarly interruptions on the work of a fictional [and
>clearly mad] philosopher scientist), themes (scholarship, madness,
>death), even the issue of authorial identification (possibly even more
>convulted in the case of the O'Brien than in PF -- if that's possible).
>Also, perhaps most importantly, the reader's uncanny chill while
>reading, especially the remarkable final chapters. The evocation of the
>"otherworld" -- possibly not the same one that VN evokes so frequently,
>but a dark mirror image of it -- is detailed and extraordinary.
>
>I am away from home and don't have my SO index with me, but I don't
>recall VN making any reference to this wonderful writer. Does anyone
>know whether he (VN) was acquainted with F O'B?
>
>This book is so good I cannot believe that his more famous book (At
>Swim-Two-Birds) is any better. (But I will be finding out for myself
>immediately!)
And has anyone seen a production of O'Brien's version of the Capeks'
INSECT PLAY?
>
>Christopher Berg
>
>______________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com