Myles Away from Dublin

by Flann O'Brien

Flann O’Brien (Brian O’Nolan, aka Myles na Gopaleen) adopted not only a new name (George Knowall) for these rarely seen pieces, but also a new persona. Writing his column ‘Bones of Contention’ for the Nationalist and Leinster Times, he took on the character of the quizzical and enquiring humorist who might be found in a respectable public house in Carlow: erudite, urbane and informative, he is the country cousin of the Myles of Dublin, yet still a facet of the complex character who wrote The Third Policeman and At Swim-Two-Birds. His delight in words, his uncanny ability to see through humbug, are unparalleled. Writers as disparate as James Joyce, Dylan Thomas, Graham Greene and Anthony Burgess have marvelled at his talent. New readers will discover that he is one of the funniest writers in any language, at any time.

Genres: Irish Literature, Fiction, Ireland, Humor, Short Stories

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Pseudonym of Brian Ó Nualláin , also known as Brian O'Nolan.

His English novels appeared under the name of Flann O’Brien, while his great Irish novel and his newspaper column (which appeared from 1940 to 1966) were signed Myles na gCopaleen or Myles na Gopaleen – the second being a phonetic rendering of the first. One of twelve brothers and sisters, he was born in 1911 in Strabane, County Tyrone, into an Irish-speaking family. His father had learned Irish while a young man during the Gaelic revival the son was later to mock. O’Brien’s childhood has been described as happy, though somewhat insular, as the language spoken at home was not that spoken by their neighbours. The Irish language had long been in decline, and Strabane was not in an Irish-speaking part of the country. The family moved frequently during O’Brien’s childhood, finally settling in Dublin in 1925. Four years later O’Brien took up study in University College Dublin.

Flann O'Brien is considered a major figure in twentieth century Irish literature. Flann O'Brien novels have attracted a wide following for their bizarre humour and Modernist metafiction.

The café and shop of Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich (www.culturlann.ie), at the heart of the Belfast Gaeltacht Quarter, is named An Ceathrú Póilí ("The Fourth Policeman"), as a play-on-words of the title of O'Brien's book The Third Policeman.

Reviews

[Fionnuala]

It is six o’clock in the evening and Flann O'Brien is sitting in front of his typewriter staring at the blank page that should already contain one of his newspaper articles for the following day's papers (for many years, he wrote daily and weekly columns for three newspapers, one based in Dublin, the other two in the provinces while working full-time as a civil servant). His hands are poised above the keys but the starter gun in his head has failed to go off. After some minutes in that position, his hands get tired and they move to the pile of books on his desk, quickly selecting their favourite volume. They thumb their way through the pages until they find something that interests them. Meantime, Flann observes where his hands have taken him and a grin spreads across his face. The starter gun has finally popped and he's off, fingers racing across the keys, the paper rolling over the carriage bar faster and faster. He gets to the end, sits back and smiles with satisfaction. It really isn't that difficult, he thinks, and anyway, the punters love him so much they'll read anything he writes, even a riff on the definition of a random word in the dictionary.
My favourite book, he says, and his hands fondle it lovingly.

………………………………………………..............

It’s six o’clock and I have a review to write but no ideas. Perhaps I should take a leaf out of Flann's favourite book?
So I’ve opened the dictionary at R for random, and what do you think I find?

review; rɪˈvjuː/,
noun
1. a formal assessment of something with the intention of instituting change if necessary.
2. a critical appraisal of a book, play, film, etc. published in a newspaper or magazine.

verb
1. assess (something) formally with the intention of instituting change if necessary.
2. write a critical appraisal of (a book, play, film, etc.) for publication in a newspaper or magazine

Opening the dictionary was not a good idea. A critical appraisal? I don’t know how to write a critical appraisal. I’ve posted 382 'reviews' here on goodreads but not one of them could accurately be termed a critical appraisal.
Not only do I have no ideas, I have no technique either.
I’m well and truly stumped.

[MJ Nicholls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Articles written in the last six years of O'Brien's life (1960-66) under the pen-name George Knowall. His wild and innovative years on the Irish Times behind him, here he settles into a mildly grumpy smart-alec persona.

This version of O'Brien is a easier for some to swallow. The writing is standard column stuff kept entertaining by the steady prose.

[Martin Bihl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anything by Flann is worth reading. This, perhaps a little less so. But still, what a mind the man had for humour.

[Dylan Rock · Rating 4 out of 5]

An wonderful collection of Flann O'Brien later articles from the 1960s still as funny and bitting the day it was published.

[Max Nemtsov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Сборник прикладной журналистики ФОБ — колонки популярно-познавательного толка для провинциальной прессы, которые ФОБ писал от лица другой персоны, хотя интонации узнаваемы. Тут действительно интересно различие в подходах к оценке читательской аудитории: тексты эти написаны не вполне для дебилов, конечно, но и не так плотно и саркастично, как в «Айриш Таймз». Очень занимательно.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

The man could write, and write well about anything. That said, this volume of his late newspaper pieces is for the completists and the hardcore fans. Casual fans of O'Brien would prefer a volume half the size.

What is charming for 75 pages is tedious at 330.