whitney's review
Molloy, Malone Dies, The Unnamable (Everyman's Library) by Samuel Beckett
Beckett is a difficult and fascinating writer. I was introduced to him rather late in my undergraduate career, and I'm not sure I would be as enthusiastic about his writing if I had encountered it earlier. In reading the Trilogy, one should always keep in mind the materiality of the text itself; as strange and unreal as Beckett's world may seem, it's strongly tied to the ink and paper that brings it to life (references to the physicality of writing itself are pretty easy to find). Some familiarity with philosophy may be helpful, too, particularly Descartes. Mind/body dualism oddly captivates Beckett (a very good literary critic, Hugh Kenner, sheds some light on this). And finally, though the thickness of the prose is forbidding, there's plenty of humor threaded throughout. It will take a bit of time and patience to develop a taste and appreciation for Beckett, but it's worth it, I think.
