The Hard life : an exegesis of squalor [Paperback]

Flann O'Brien (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1978

Subtitled "An Exegesis of Squalor," The Hard Life is a sober farce from a master of Irish comic fiction. Set in Dublin at the turn of the century, the novel does involve squalor--illness, alcoholism, unemployment, bodily functions, crime, illicit sex--but also investigates such diverse topics as Church history, tightrope walking, and the pressing need for public toilets for ladies. The Hard Life is straight-faced entertainment that conceals in laughter its own devious and wicked satire by one of the best known Irish writers of the 20th century.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

O'Brien's 1961 novel is a sober but satirical tale about two Irish orphans growing up at the turn of the century amid the squalor of working-class Dublin.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Critics have placed O'Brien in the upper echelon of Irish novelsts. This 1961 comic novel relates the lives of two orphaned Dublin brothers sent to live with their fiery uncle. "The conversation is a delight," said LJ 's reviewer, "it seems no Irishman can be dull when talking--and the atmosphere of a lower-middle-class family, with its cheerless, shabby, restricted way of life, is well done" ( LJ 5/15/62). For all fiction collections.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 126 pages
• Publisher: Picador (1978)
• ISBN-10: 0330248006
• ISBN-13: 978-0330248006
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,465,904 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Flann O'Brien, whose real name was Brian O'Nolan, also wrote under the pen name of Myles na Gopaleen. He was born in 1911 in County Tyrone. A resident of Dublin, he graduated from University College after a brilliant career as a student (editing a magazine called Blather) and joined the Civil Service, in which he eventually attained a senior position.

He wrote throughout his life, which ended in Dublin on April 1, 1966. His other novels include The Dalkey Archive, The Third Policeman, The Hard Life, and The Poor Mouth, all available from Dalkey Archive Press. Also available are three volumes of his newspaper columns: The Best of Myles, Further Cuttings from Cruiskeen Lawn, and At War.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Slagger's Bag, November 22, 2003

By 

Michael S. Mahoney (Louisville, KY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hard Life (Paperback)

In this inconsequential novella by Flann O'Brien, two orphans of the gormless, Finbarr and Manus, grow up next to their guardian Mr. Collopy's prodigious crock. They chafe under the old man and plot their escape. Manus dreams of cash, Finbarr of auburn hair. As part of their unconventional education, they listen with muffled groans to disputations between Collopy and regular visitor Father Fahrt on subjects theological and heretical. Guy Fawkes a hero for the ages? Aquinas a right chancer? Saints and sinners dangle from their hooks. Though dismissed by critics, this late work never fails to produce a chuckle. Its author certainly lends credence to Fahrt's contention that "a degraded social climate is essential to inspire great men to achievement in the arts," even if that climate is some dark snug a Liffey's width from the Custom House.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Laziness as Virtue, October 22, 2003

By 

Russell G. Brasel (Monroe, LA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hard life : an exegesis of squalor (Paperback)

This novel is the anti-bildungsroman. In the typical development/coming-of-age novel, the characters have some great epiphany about life, the universe, God, and everything. O'Brien subverts that, however: the last line reads, "There, everything inside me came forth in a tidal surge of vomit." O'Brien's characters typically don't learn a damn thing about life, continue in their idleness, but somehow come through victorious (or near enough) in the end.

For those of you who have tired of Joyce, this is a more visceral and accurate portrayal of the Irishman in the days leading up to their independence. Well worth it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Hard Times in Dublin - Quite Hard on the Reader As Well, January 2, 2008

By 

Ford Ka (Edinburgh, Scotland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hard Life (Paperback)

In the final years of his life O'Brien decided to go back to writing and this is one of the effects. A fairly slim novella on hard times, set in the turn of the century (19th and 20th) Dublin with two orphan brothers reaching maturity under the care of a busy (in his thoughts mainly) Dubliner. The book can be funny at times but generally it lacks a clear direction. Is it a veiled criticism of the Catholic Church? If so, it is so veiled the Church failed to notice as O'Brien allegedly hoped for a censorship ban on the book.
If you fell for At Swim-Two-Birds and need more O'Brien you may try it but keep your hopes low. If this is your first O'Brien move to At Swim-Two-Birds or The Third Policeman as soon as you can and rest assured you will not regret it. Last but not least - if the combination of "Ireland", "children" and "hard times" makes you think of Angela's Ashes you can't be more wrong in this case.