The Third Policeman

The Third Policeman A Novel

Flann O'Brien1999
With the publication of The Third Policeman, Dalkey Archive Press now has all of O'Brien's fiction back in print.
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Reviews

Photo of y✦
y✦@y4ndsl
4 stars
Jan 8, 2024

✦ an irish classic ✦ absurd philosophical comedy ✦ the very excuse to thoroughly enjoy it wo understanding what's going on ✦ a literary jigsaw puzzle—big picture takes shape in the end and hits u ✦ weirdest bike ride ever ✦ love it

Photo of Jesse Morley
Jesse Morley@jessemorley
4 stars
Jan 3, 2023

p. 20 "The the eyes were horrible. Looking at them I got the feeling that they were not genuine eyes at all but mechanical dummies animated by electricity or the like, with a tiny pinhole in the centre of the 'pupil' through which the real eye gazed secretively and with great coldness. Such a conception, possibly, with no foundation at all in fact, disturbed me agonisingly and gave rise in my mind to interminable speculations as to the colour and quality of the real eye and as to whether, indeed, it was real at all or merely another dummy with its pinhole on the same plane as the first one so that the real eye, possibly behind thousands of these absurd disguises, gazed out through a barrel of serried peep-holes." "‘Not hens’ piniony under-wing feeling?’ I questioned keenly. The Sergeant shook his head abstractedly." "'It is nearly an insoluble pancake,’ he smiled, ‘a conundrum of inscrutable potentialities, a snorter.’"

Photo of Milk
Milk@milksprain
2 stars
Mar 8, 2022

It's alright. Quite difficult to follow at times because it's so all over the place. Funny on occasion in its absurdity, but also very difficult to connect with because of it.

Photo of Melody Izard
Melody Izard@mizard
4 stars
Jan 10, 2022

This is an Alice down the rabbit hole kind of book with a distinct Monty Python twist. There are lots of bikes and lots of mysterious readings and this damn third policeman. Craig and I listened to it during our trip to Grayton Beach and it was certainly not something you could listen to if you were trying to decide if you needed to make a left-hand turn or stay straight.

Photo of Daniel Marino
Daniel Marino@marino
4 stars
Aug 17, 2021

I have no idea what I just read. But it was a good book. :)

Photo of Kerry McHugh West
Kerry McHugh West@gettingkerryedaway
4.5 stars
Sep 16, 2023
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nope@noope
5 stars
Jul 15, 2023
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Liz Prinz@prinzy
2 stars
Apr 1, 2023
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Ruthie C@ruthiereads
2 stars
Dec 28, 2022
Photo of Will Vunderink
Will Vunderink@willvunderink
2 stars
Dec 18, 2023
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Mandy@heymandy
3 stars
Sep 5, 2023
Photo of Jeff James
Jeff James@unsquare
5 stars
Jan 3, 2023
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Ivan Shiel@barkingstars
5 stars
Nov 29, 2022
Photo of Alice Hyman
Alice Hyman@booksforscee
2 stars
Oct 14, 2022
Photo of Cal Desmond‐Pearson
Cal Desmond‐Pearson@social-hermit
4 stars
Sep 24, 2022
Photo of Miguel Angel
Miguel Angel@ardid
3 stars
Aug 21, 2022
Photo of Anthony Sabourin
Anthony Sabourin@anthonysabourin
3 stars
Mar 31, 2022
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Michaela Gillmore@mgillmore
3 stars
Mar 19, 2022
Photo of Giovanni Garcia-Fenech
Giovanni Garcia-Fenech @giovannigf
5 stars
Feb 9, 2022
Photo of Liam Byrne
Liam Byrne @tvtimelimit
4 stars
Jan 17, 2022
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Moray Lyle McIntosh@bookish_arcadia
5 stars
Dec 5, 2021
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Tyler Pisinski@tyleruwu
5 stars
Nov 16, 2021
Photo of adria
adria@likeareader
4 stars
Nov 9, 2021
Photo of Pam Sartain
Pam Sartain@certainlygeeky
3 stars
Nov 9, 2021