Flann O'Brien's first novel is a brilliant impressionistic jumble of ideas, myth
ology and nonsense. Operating on many levels it incorporates plots within plots,
giving full rein to O'Brien's dancing intellect and Celtic wit. The undergradua
te 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, in
a typical O'Brien conundrum, creates a means by which women can give birth to f
ull-grown people.
Flann O'Brien's blend of farce, satire and fantasy result i
n a remarkable, astonishingly innovative book.
