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At Swim-two-birds

By Flann O'Brien
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
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3.85 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 14,142 ratings, 1,267 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
At Swim-Two-Birds is a unique narrative following a disenchanted Irish university student who crafts a metafictional tale in which characters take control of their own stories. Blurring the lines between author, character, and reader, it offers a humorous and inventive exploration of storytelling itself. With surreal layers and playful wit, the book challenges traditional narrative structures, making it a classic in experimental literature.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate works that blend humour with metafictional elements, creating a narrative where characters come to life in unexpected ways. It offers a unique reading experience that combines wit, imagination, and a playful take on storytelling.

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The undergraduate narrator lives with his uncle in Dublin, drinks too much with his friends and invents stories peopled with hilarious and unlikely characters, one of whom, creates a means by which women can give birth to full-grown people.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Flann O'Brien's first novel is a brilliant impressionistic jumble of ideas, mythology and nonsense. Operating on many levels, it incorporates plots within plots, giving full rein to O'Brien's dancing intellect and Celtic wit.

The undergraduate narrator lives with his uncle in Dublin, drinks too much with his friends and invents stories peopled with hilarious and unlikely characters. One of these characters, in a typical O'Brien conundrum, creates a means by which women can give birth to full-grown people.

Flann O'Brien's blend of farce, satire and fantasy results in a remarkable, astonishingly innovative book. At Swim-two-birds showcases O'Brien's unique style and literary prowess, making it a must-read for fans of imaginative storytelling.

Series: Penguin Modern Classics

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

At Swim-Two-Birds is celebrated for its imaginative narrative, striking originality, and clever humour. It is often lauded as both a comedy and fantasy that transcends ordinary description and delights readers with its inventive style. Critics like Graham Greene and Anthony Burgess have praised the book for its significance in modern literature, paralleling its complexity and inventiveness to works like Ulysses.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141182681

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 24 February 2000

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 14.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 182g

Pages: 240

Collections

2025 Best Sellers Best Sellers at Book Hero Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Evie's Cat-alogue Fiction Flann O'Brien General Fiction In Stock Books In-Stock Fiction Books Literary Fiction Moving Day Sale Moving Day Sale: Books Moving Day Sale: General Fiction New Release Fiction Penguin Books Penguin Classics Penguin Classics: General Fiction Series: Penguin Modern Classics

About the Author

Flann O’Brien was born on October 5, 1911, in Strabane, Ireland. He was a novelist and dramatist. He wrote a column forΒ The Irish TimesΒ for 26 years under the name Myles na gCopaleen. His best known novel isΒ At Swim-Two-Birds, which was written in 1939. It combines folklore, poetry and humor. He died in Dublin on April 1, 1966.

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