At Swim-Two-Birds

by Flann O'Brien

3 of 5 stars 1 rating • 1 review • 2 shelved
Book cover for At Swim-Two-Birds
Shelve It

Bookhype may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure.

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.
  • ISBN10 156478181X
  • ISBN13 9781564781819
  • Publish Date 1 September 2005 (first published December 1960)
  • Publish Status Out of Print
  • Out of Print 27 January 2021
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint Dalkey Archive Press
  • Format Paperback
  • Pages 240
  • Language English