Similarities with The Third Policeman?

gaf1983

In today's Sunday Times it was reported that the publishers of Flann O'Brien's best novel, The Third Policeman, have shipped 10,000 copies of the book to the US in an anticipation of increased sales because apparently the book is going to play a prominent role in Episode 3 of Series Two.

The Third Policeman features the main protagonist trapped in a sort of nightmarish parallel universe with no escape.

If you've read the book, have you seen any similarities between its plot and that of Lost? Discuss.

wayne040576

gaf1983 wrote:

In today's Sunday Times it was reported that the publishers of Flann O'Brien's best novel, The Third Policeman, have shipped 10,000 copies of the book to the US in an anticipation of increased sales because apparently the book is going to play a prominent role in Episode 3 of Series Two.

The Third Policeman features the main protagonist trapped in a sort of nightmarish parallel universe with no escape.

If you've read the book, have you seen any similarities between its plot and that of Lost? Discuss.

I was reading a similar post on a US Lost forum where somebody was asking about this book. I had a feeling that sales of the book would shoot up as soon as people heard this.

monkeyfudge

It's a great book. But it's a completely off the wall story.

I certainly don't see any particular similarities between it and Lost.

In the story the main character is actually dead but doesn't know it. It's was an amazingly original concept when the book was written, but that sort of thing is old hat these days.

But again, I must say it is a simply wonderful book and I suggest everyone should try and pick up a copy.

wayne040576

monkeyfudge wrote:

It's a great book. But it's a completely off the wall story.

I certainly don't see any particular similarities between it and Lost.

In the story the main character is actually dead but doesn't know it. It's was an amazingly original concept when the book was written, but that sort of thing is old hat these days.

But again, I must say it is a simply wonderful book and I suggest everyone should try and pick up a copy.

I think the references to the book are to be in the next episode that airs in the US.

phileeoonskee

Omg. What a coincidence! Just started reading a few days ago for a completely unrelated reason.

gaf1983

3rd POLICEMAN POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING

monkeyfudge wrote:

In the story the main character is actually dead but doesn't know it. It's was an amazingly original concept when the book was written, but that sort of thing is old hat these days.

While I agree with you that it's a wonderful book, I'm not quite sure if I agree that the ideas in it are old hat these days. Maybe I just haven't seen any films or books along the same lines. I suppose the Coens' Man Who Wasn't There was similar, maybe? What books/films have used the concepts in The Third Policeman?

I thought it was a great book too in the way it combined off-the-wall black humour with a weird idea. Also it is debatable whether or not the narrator is dead, maybe just doomed to keep living.

fun bus

In episode 4, jack is talking to Rose (the black lady he sat beside on the plane). he presumes her husbamd is dead and asks her to speak at the memorial when they burn the bodies. when she says hes not dead jack says "hes gone, they're all gone", to which the woman replies "they're probably saying the same thing about us" definately think theres a highly religious/philosophical swing with the show. the third policeman clue could be there to throw us off, but i think they're all dead and , vice versa, those they THINK are dead actually survived the crash.

Sleepy

Do not read if you haven't been watching the US Episodes.

In s2e3, we see that Desmond has a copy of Third Policeman lying on a table