Does anyone have any thoughts on Beckett?

[ergill_sanchez]

Just wondering . . .

[Pequod]

I really enjoy Beckett but it has been so long since i read any of his stuff that I cannot intelligibly discuss him here. However, tomorrow I am going to listen to Raymond Federman talk about Beckett and his studies of him. Wednesday, he will be giving a lecture entitled, "Reflections on the Pathetic Condition of the Novel and the Novelist Our Time" ... how appropriate! ;)

[ergill_sanchez]

That's an interesting coincidence, indeed. I haven't read much of his work, and only recently found out about his novels. It's suprising that they aren't more popular. Then again, maybe they are and I just didn't realize it. Maybe you'll feel more able to discuss later. I just hope that I'll have something good to say, seeing as how so much has already been said.

[Zooey]

I just read a short essay on his work last night and my interest was piqued. I'm going to be looking into his stuff soon.

[ergill_sanchez]

It's definitely worth a look, although I have only finished the first half of Molloy, and read two of his plays. All were basically hilarious, and never dull. Even when he goes on for pages about sucking stones, in Molloy, with absoultely no paragraph breaks literally for the first 120 something pages.

Funny that you have a Franny and Zooey theme going there when I just read it before I got into Beckett. I suppose after him I'll move onto Salinger, but it's difficult to say when there's so much to choose from.

[Zooey]

It's definitely worth a look, although I have only finished the first half of Molloy, and read two of his plays. All were basically hilarious, and never dull. Even when he goes on for pages about sucking stones, in Molloy, with absoultely no paragraph breaks literally for the first 120 something pages.

Funny that you have a Franny and Zooey theme going there when I just read it before I got into Beckett. I suppose after him I'll move onto Salinger, but it's difficult to say when there's so much to choose from. Was Waiting for Godot one of the plays you read? What do you think would be a good starting point? I'm glad to to read that they are humorous and aren't dull. A good sign! :)

So you just read Franny and Zooey? What did you think? It's a fast read, but I fell in love with it. It reminds me a lot of one of my favorite movies, The Royal Tenenbaums with the disturbed former child genius thing going on. I connected with the characters for some reason, and Zooey has become one of my favorite literary characters.

It sounds like when you read you focus on a particular author. Do you find it an effective approach to reading?

[ergill_sanchez]

Was Waiting for Godot one of the plays you read? What do you think would be a good starting point? I'm glad to to read that they are humorous and aren't dull. A good sign! :)

Yeah that was the first one that I read. My teacher let me borrow it when I didn't have anything to read. The same for Franny and Zooey oddly enough. Godot is probably a good start from what I know. From what I've read about his novels, and from the little bit that I've read from one, it seems his novels become progressively smaller and more confusing. I read about him saying that he wanted to compress his work smaller and smaller until there would only be an empty page. Godot also is very popular. A lot has been written about it in books and online. You're bound find interesting stuff as I've seen tons of sites around. The novel I'm reading right now is part of his trilogy Molloy{what I'm reading}, Malone Dies, and the Unnameable. Each were written in french which he translated back into his native language in an attempt to loose any sense of style. Either way it turns out really interesting with a distinct rhythme.


So you just read Franny and Zooey? What did you think? It's a fast read, but I fell in love with it. It reminds me a lot of one of my favorite movies, The Royal Tenenbaums with the disturbed former child genius thing going on. I connected with the characters for some reason, and Zooey has become one of my favorite literary characters.

It sounds like when you read you focus on a particular author. Do you find it an effective approach to reading?

Defintely makes you think of Tenenbaums. I also have his other book about that particular family, but I haven't started it yet. I actually think there's supposed to be a lot more than that. It was a fast read, but in an especially good way. The first part in the resturaunt was especially interesting as the characters slowly progressed. I've never really been interested in such subjects, but couldn't stop reading here. I really liked the simplicity as well.

I suppose the "author" approach just comes naturally to me although I usually break away towards others, and come back later. I suppose it just feels good to think, "Hey, I'll get this stuff out of the way, move on, and maybe come back to read some of it again later on." It feels good to have that focus even though it never turns out that way. Kafka, Camus, Joyce, Salinger, Beckett, and there are obviously billions of other great authors. I suppose it's better to have too much to do than nothing at all. I'll go with the deluded focus for now . . .

[Zooey]

Yeah that was the first one that I read. My teacher let me borrow it when I didn't have anything to read. The same for Franny and Zooey oddly enough. Godot is probably a good start from what I know. From what I've read about his novels, and from the little bit that I've read from one, it seems his novels become progressively smaller and more confusing. I read about him saying that he wanted to compress his work smaller and smaller until there would only be an empty page. Godot also is very popular. A lot has been written about it in books and online. You're bound find interesting stuff as I've seen tons of sites around. The novel I'm reading right now is part of his trilogy Molloy{what I'm reading}, Malone Dies, and the Unnameable. Each were written in french which he translated back into his native language in an attempt to loose any sense of style. Either way it turns out really interesting with a distinct rhythme. Awesome. Thank you, and I'm going to be looking into Looking for Godot soon. I'll let you know what I think.


Defintely makes you think of Tenenbaums. I also have his other book about that particular family, but I haven't started it yet. I actually think there's supposed to be a lot more than that. It was a fast read, but in an especially good way. The first part in the resturaunt was especially interesting as the characters slowly progressed. I've never really been interested in such subjects, but couldn't stop reading here. I really liked the simplicity as well.

I suppose the "author" approach just comes naturally to me although I usually break away towards others, and come back later. I suppose it just feels good to think, "Hey, I'll get this stuff out of the way, move on, and maybe come back to read some of it again later on." It feels good to have that focus even though it never turns out that way. Kafka, Camus, Joyce, Salinger, Beckett, and there are obviously billions of other great authors. I suppose it's better to have too much to do than nothing at all. I'll go with the deluded focus for now . . . What other books is it? Is it 9 Short Stories or whatever? And was the story something about a Banana fish or something?

I really like how Salinger's reading is easy to read, but at the same time it doesn't feel any less quality than any other great writing. The man definitely had talent, and I wish he would have written more.

I don't think I could do a "author approach", as you call it, just because I'm the type who'se in the middle of 3 to 5 different books at a time, and read them according to what mood I'm in at any given time.

Thanks again for the info. :)

[ergill_sanchez]

[quote="ergill_sanchez"]
Awesome. Thank you, and I'm going to be looking into Looking for Godot soon. I'll let you know what I think.

Remember it's Waiting for Godot, just so you don't have a difficult time finding it. I'm pretty sure it was orginally written in French and translated back into English as well so you might also see it as Un Attendant Godot, but chances are that won't happen.


What other books is it? Is it 9 Short Stories or whatever? And was the story something about a Banana fish or something?

I really like how Salinger's reading is easy to read, but at the same time it doesn't feel any less quality than any other great writing. The man definitely had talent, and I wish he would have written more.

I don't think I could do a "author approach", as you call it, just because I'm the type who'se in the middle of 3 to 5 different books at a time, and read them according to what mood I'm in at any given time.

Thanks again for the info. :)

It's called Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour an introduction. Pretty eloboarte name, but that's it. I do have the Nine Stories, but I don't know if it has anything about that particular family. Interestingly enough my teacher told me that Salinger was still alive. Just a recluse apparently.

I don't even think the "author approach" works for myself in the literal sense. I just do it instinctively. The illusion of control. I still haven't finished the Castle.

[Zooey]

Remember it's Waiting for Godot, just so you don't have a difficult time finding it. I'm pretty sure it was orginally written in French and translated back into English as well so you might also see it as Un Attendant Godot, but chances are that won't happen. Good heavens, what was I thinking? How embarassing. :oops: Yes, of course, Waiting for Godot. And I wish my French was good enough to read it in the orignal French. Not quite yet- maybe in a year of so.


It's called Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour an introduction. Pretty eloboarte name, but that's it. I do have the Nine Stories, but I don't know if it has anything about that particular family. Interestingly enough my teacher told me that Salinger was still alive. Just a recluse apparently.

I don't even think the "author approach" works for myself in the literal sense. I just do it instinctively. The illusion of control. I still haven't finished the Castle. Hmmm, haven't even heard of them. To Amazon.com and onto my Wish List they go. Thanks for the heads-up, as I wasn't aware they were out there I would never have looked for them!