Chapter I Summary

The unnamed narrator of The Third Policeman is obsessed with the bizarre philosopher de Selby, and in order to publish a book about de Selby, the narrator agrees to murder a man for his money. However, the narrator's partner in turn murders the narrator, who is thrust into a bizarre journey through the afterlife. The narrator tries to piece together what is happening and finally finds his way home, where he discovers that he's been murdered and must start his hellish journey over again.

The narrator's father is a farmer, and his mother runs a pub. Both die when the narrator is a young boy who doesn't understand what is happening. The narrator is sent off to school, where he reads a book called Golden Hours by the philosopher de Selby. The narrator becomes obsessed with de Selby and steals the...