The third policeman

I suspect the writers of Father Ted were fans of O'Brien : the name-guessing sequences definitely rang a bell. There's a good reason for the illogical craziness, which was probably a very unusual plot device at the time of writing. I didn't think I was in the mood for a surreal story, but this has stuck with me and will definitely bear re-reading. A note for those students obliged to read this novel and not enjoying the surrealness : just let it wash over you like it's a weird dream, without making any attempt to make sense of it.