Completists' Club discussion

Novels:

At Swim-Two-Birds (1939)
The Poor Mouth (1941)
The Hard Life (1962)
The Dalkey Archive (1964)
The Third Policeman (written 1939-40, published 1968)

Cruiskeen Lawn + Miscellany:

The Best of Myles
The Hair of the Dogma
Further Cuttings from Cruiskeen Lawn
Flann O'Brien At War: Myles na gCopaleen 1940-1945
Myles Away from Dublin
Myles Before Myles
At War
The Various Lives of Keats and Chapman
Stories & Plays

Not sure about the overlap in some of the Cruiskeen Lawn books. I haven't read Further Cuttings or either of the At War books (which is probably the same material).

Oh hell yes I'm going to do this. I have that gorgeous Everyman's library edition of his complete novels, gotta get on that.

One day, once I get started, I seem to be already committed to his five novels. Not likely more than that, but I know I've missed something having no O'Brien in my life.

At Swim is your metafictional megalith, Third Policeman your everlasting classic. Poor Mouth is simply one of the best parodies ever written.

MJ - Agree about those three. All superb. Frankly, I've been afraid to check out the other novels having heard they're downright shabby in comparison. Any fans out there for "The Hard Life" and "The Dalkey Archive"?

MJ wrote: "At Swim is your metafictional megalith, Third Policeman your everlasting classic. Poor Mouth is simply one of the best parodies ever written."

Those first two will be my first two. I haven't gotten much of a reputation concerning the other yet, but they'll be tic'd off one day too.

Sadly, The Hard Life is pretty feeble. The Dalkey Archive is underrated. Any novel with the undead James Joyce as a major character is "made of win."

Hmmm. I've read all of the novels and some of the other bits. Hadn't heard of The Hair of the Dogma, I'll have to check that out!

Hair of the Dogma is more Cruiskeen Lawn cuttings. I don't know if Further Cuttings contains the same material. Will investigate.