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340th out of 676 books
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2,031 voters
I Can't Go On, I'll Go On: A Samuel Beckett Reader
Paperback, 621 pages
Published
January 12th 1994
by Grove Press
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I own this book in addition to individual editions of most of the excerpts contained in it. However, I often find myself going here: partly because of the excellent introductions written by someone who knew Beckett, published him, and obviously feels his work from the inside rather than the glib scholastic outside. These days, I use Beckett like a drug, to get me through holes of motivation and doubts of ability: I use Gertrude Stein in a similar fashion. There's just something about clarity and...more
Apr 02, 2009
Hamilcar
added it
I read this over a period of months, and on several occasions had to limit what I read for a couple of reasons which I will outline. While I like having all of this Beckett in one place, one book, it's frustrating, of course, to read small sections of the novels included. This probably makes the book ideal for the classroom setting, but I'd almost rather the novels were left out (and I know there are collections of his short works alone, I'd probably be happier with one of these, but oh well). S...more
I didn't read the whole thing. I picked it up because I was saying Something Very Profound about Waiting for Godot the other day and wanted to go back and see if I was right. Like the poor stupid Vladimir, I don't remember anything from one meaningless day to the next, so I have no idea if I was right.
In those bleak twilights of pointed melancholy, I want to cry to the gray heavens GOD, Beckett is the only one who gets it! The only one! but I don't spend a lot of time there anymore. My feelings...more
In those bleak twilights of pointed melancholy, I want to cry to the gray heavens GOD, Beckett is the only one who gets it! The only one! but I don't spend a lot of time there anymore. My feelings...more
Surprisingly funny and dark. An important volume. So great to see early work like "Dante and the Lobster" alongside the later works.
Below, a few lines that show his sharp-witted sensibility:
--
From "Dante and the Lobster:"
"Now the great thing was to avoid being accosted. To be stopped at this stage and have conversational nuisance committed all over him would be a disaster."
"His aunt was in the garden, tending whatever flowers die at that time of year."
--
The opening line of the brilliant "Murphy...more
Below, a few lines that show his sharp-witted sensibility:
--
From "Dante and the Lobster:"
"Now the great thing was to avoid being accosted. To be stopped at this stage and have conversational nuisance committed all over him would be a disaster."
"His aunt was in the garden, tending whatever flowers die at that time of year."
--
The opening line of the brilliant "Murphy...more
Complete version of "Waiting for Godot", which was worth the price. Much of the rest of the book contained only portions of many of his other work, which was a good idea. Not all of his work is real accessible, so this book let you get a taste.
It's a little frustrating that it's not his *complete* works. But it gives a nice introduction to Beckett and tidy little overviews of each piece preceding its excerpt/complete transcription in the anthology.
The short stories are more amusing and less pretentious than the plays. From what I read.
The short stories are more amusing and less pretentious than the plays. From what I read.
A great selection of Beckett's work, and a great place to start with him. Never has the meaninglessness of our existence been so profoundly sad & funny.
I skipped around a bit, and read what I found interesting. Couldn't really understand most of them, although I did get the gist of it all.
Will have to pick this up again in a few years.
Will have to pick this up again in a few years.
Oct 20, 2012
Jessie
added it
Only read assigned excerpts, but Paul Auster's quote on the back pretty much hits the nail on the head. Insane. Not even rate-able.
Excellent.
this is 4.5 stars, at least.
A good intro but excerpting from novels is a little annoying. Though I guess that's what you sign up for if you buy this book.
This was a text for a class I took on the Intellectual History of Post-modern Europe.
a great collection
May 12, 2013
Louis
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Apr 29, 2013
Lucas
marked it as to-read
Apr 27, 2013
Jim Dyer
marked it as to-read
Apr 01, 2013
Hector
marked it as to-read
Apr 01, 2013
Renae
marked it as to-read
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Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet, who lived in France for most of his adult life. He wrote in both English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.
Beckett is widely regarded as among the most influential writers of the 20th century. Strongly influenced...more
More about Samuel Beckett...
Beckett is widely regarded as among the most influential writers of the 20th century. Strongly influenced...more
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“I can't go on, I'll go on.”
—
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