The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien
"The Third Policeman" is a darkly comedic and surreal novel about a nameless narrator who, after committing a murder to raise funds for his scholarly obsession with a bizarre pseudo-scientific theory, finds himself wandering in an eerie, nightmarish landscape. He encounters strange characters, including a pair of eccentric policemen who are obsessed with bicycles, and becomes embroiled in a series of increasingly absurd and ludicrous situations. The novel explores themes of existence, reality, and the nature of hell, with a twist ending that forces the reader to question everything they've read.
The 494th greatest book of all time
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- Published
- 1967
- Nationality
- Irish
- Length
- Short
- Pages
- 200-300
- Original Language
- English
- Avg User Rating
-
(3.4)
- Alternate Titles
-
- Der Dritte Polizist
- El Tercer Policía
- O Terceiro Tira
If you're interested in seeing the ranking details on this book go here
This book is on the following 12 lists:
- 7th on Top 50 Irish Novels (James Joyce Center with The Irish Times)
- 89th on TrueLit's Top 100 Favorite Books (2023) (/r/TrueLit)
- 564th on Fantasy and Horror: A Critical and Historical Guide (Book)
- 743rd on Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- 501 Must-Read Books (LibraryThing)
- Daily Telegraph's 100 Books of the Century, 1900-1999 (Daily Telegraph)
- Donald Barthelme’s Reading List (Believer Mag)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)
- Modern Fantasy: The 100 Best Novels (Modern Fantasy: The 100 Best Novels (Book))
- The 100 Best Novels Of All Time (Runners-Up) (The Guardian)