The Third Policeman (Masterplots II: British and Commonwealth Fiction Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Brian O’Nolan
- First Published: 1967
- Type of Work: Fantasy
- Time of Work: The late 1930’s
- Setting: Rural western Ireland
- Principal Characters: The Narrator, Phillip Mathers, John Dlvney, Sergeant Pluck, Policeman MacCruiskeen, Policeman Fox
- Genres: Long fiction, Fantasy
- Subjects: Philosophy or philosophers, Crime or criminals, Murder or homicide, Police, 1930’s, Death or dying, Afterlife, Space and time, Ireland or Irish people
- Locales: Ireland
The Novel
As a child, the unnamed narrator of The Third Policeman was sent to boarding school on the death of both his parents. As a young adult, he returns to his hometown, where the meager family farm has been suspiciously mismanaged by a lazy bachelor named John Divney. The fantastic events of the novel, and the narrator’s own relation of his story, begin with the murder of a wealthy old man, Phillip Mathers, by the narrator in the company, and at the instigation, of Divney. While the narrator buries the corpse, Divney hides the cash box they sought. Months later,...
[The entire page is 1298 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
