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Three Novels by Samuel Beckett: Molloy, Malone Dies, the Unnamable
by Samuel Beckett

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/78450.Three_Novels_by_Samuel_Beckett_Molloy_Malone_Dies_the_Unnamable?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Three Novels by Samuel Beckett: Molloy, Malone Dies, the Unnamable" border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1170944993m/78450.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/78450.Three_Novels_by_Samuel_Beckett_Molloy_Malone_Dies_the_Unnamable?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Three Novels by Samuel Beckett: Molloy, Malone Dies, the Unnamable</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5239.Samuel_Beckett">Samuel Beckett</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/13289123?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 4 of 5 stars While many people remember Samuel Beckett as a playwright, he was also a brilliant novelist. 
 Beckett's works focus on the questioning the concept of language and the fundamental construction of a non-traditional narratives. What I have always enjoyed about Beckett's works is that he leaned towards the absurd- stories that at a cursory glance make no sense and have nothing going on, but at a deeper glance, unveil a rich world that is deeper and more profound than any other work. 
 Beckett's works always follow the truly low and destitute modern man, and how through that destitution, meaning of life can be examined and elevated. Nowhere is this more evident that in this trilogy of books. In them, Beckett has thrown away the traditional constraints of paragraphs, sentences and structure to form his own minimalistic work. Paragraph breaks are non-existent and sentences run-on, adding a feel for the immediacy of the thoughts that are running through the protagonists. 
 Trying to summarize each of the books is truly daunting since they are non-traditional works. The first novel, Molloy consists of two inner monologues that flesh out the story of a man accused of murder, his bike that he refuses to call "bike", and a widowed police officer who is sent to track down the man. There is much more to the story, but explaining any more would give away the twists and surrealistic conclusion. The second book in the trilogy, Malone Dies is impossible to describe, but contains the famous line that perfectly describes this work, "Nothing is more real than nothing". The final novel in the trilogy, the Unnamable contains a disjointed monologue of an unnamable and immobile protagonist who questions the meaning of his own life. Not much more can be explained about this story since much of it makes little sense.
 Overall, this trilogy of Beckett's is one of the most important works of the 20th century and is arguably Beckett's most important non-dramatic work. Highly recommended.
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/126374?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Joshua's review
rating:
bookshelves: classics
recommended for: Anyone in the mood for something profound

While many people remember Samuel Beckett as a playwright, he was also a brilliant novelist.
Beckett's works focus on the questioning the concept of language and the fundamental construction of a non-traditional narratives. What I have always enjoyed about Beckett's works is that he leaned towards the absurd- stories that at a cursory glance make no sense and have nothing going on, but at a deeper glance, unveil a rich world that is deeper and more profound than any other work.
Beckett's works always follow the truly low and destitute modern man, and how through that destitution, meaning of life can be examined and elevated. Nowhere is this more evident that in this trilogy of books. In them, Beckett has thrown away the traditional constraints of paragraphs, sentences and structure to form his own minimalistic work. Paragraph breaks are non-existent and sentences run-on, adding a feel for the immediacy of the thoughts that are running through the protagonists.
Trying to summarize...more While many people remember Samuel Beckett as a playwright, he was also a brilliant novelist.
Beckett's works focus on the questioning the concept of language and the fundamental construction of a non-traditional narratives. What I have always enjoyed about Beckett's works is that he leaned towards the absurd- stories that at a cursory glance make no sense and have nothing going on, but at a deeper glance, unveil a rich world that is deeper and more profound than any other work.
Beckett's works always follow the truly low and destitute modern man, and how through that destitution, meaning of life can be examined and elevated. Nowhere is this more evident that in this trilogy of books. In them, Beckett has thrown away the traditional constraints of paragraphs, sentences and structure to form his own minimalistic work. Paragraph breaks are non-existent and sentences run-on, adding a feel for the immediacy of the thoughts that are running through the protagonists.
Trying to summarize each of the books is truly daunting since they are non-traditional works. The first novel, Molloy consists of two inner monologues that flesh out the story of a man accused of murder, his bike that he refuses to call "bike", and a widowed police officer who is sent to track down the man. There is much more to the story, but explaining any more would give away the twists and surrealistic conclusion. The second book in the trilogy, Malone Dies is impossible to describe, but contains the famous line that perfectly describes this work, "Nothing is more real than nothing". The final novel in the trilogy, the Unnamable contains a disjointed monologue of an unnamable and immobile protagonist who questions the meaning of his own life. Not much more can be explained about this story since much of it makes little sense.
Overall, this trilogy of Beckett's is one of the most important works of the 20th century and is arguably Beckett's most important non-dramatic work. Highly recommended....less

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