O’BRIEN, Flann [Myles na gCopaleen] At Swim-Two-Birds.

London: MacGibbon & Kee, 1960. Large post octavo. Second edition. pp. 315, [1]. Black papered boards, title in gilt on spine. Previous owner’s label and signature in pencil on front endpaper. A fine copy in fine un-priced clipped dust jacket.

Brian O’Nolan (1911-1966), novelist, journalist, short story writer, playwright and humourist was a native of Strabane, County Tyrone. He was better known by his pseudonyms Flann O’Brien, Myles na gCopaleen, but he also had other pseudonymic incarnations: Brother Barnabas, George Knowall, Count O’Blather, and John James Doe. His most celebrated novel ‘At Swim-Two-Birds’ was published in 1939, was hailed critically, and much relished by James Joyce, but it sold poorly. In 1960, the re-issue of ‘At Swim-Two-Birds’ brought tremendous success, restored his confidence, and he went on to produce more best-selling novels. “One extremely funny one-man symposium on Irish literature. It shows as one of the very, very few books to have successfully drawn some kind of inspiration from Ulysses.” The Spectator. The book was originally published London 1939. This edition was first published by MacGibbon & Kee in 1960.

[L3 7F]