samuel beckett

[9]

I checked out a couple of books of short stories by him from the library the other evening, specifically 'more pricks than kicks' and 'fizzles'. so far I actually really, really like them. they are very weird, and sort of surrealish, and basically ideal reading material for people with ADD :lol:

anybody else like him? any recommendations of authors who are similar?

[Sasha]

I love his plays, you should see Harold pinters version of Beckett's "kraps last tape", its really awesome.
Waiting for godot is offcourse nice too but I really love it when he explored the boundaries of theatre and language, hid did this hypnotising plays where all the actors where heads stuck in vases and shit, eventually even doing a play where you could only see a mouth...

[9]

this hypnotising plays where all the actors where heads stuck in vases and shit, eventually even doing a play where you could only see a mouth...

yeah, that sounds pretty awesome.

[9]

'afar a bird' is my favorite one I have read so far; its weird as hell.

[Dr Doom]

man samuel beckett is awesome, 'endgame' is a seriously good play.

“I love order. It's my dream. A world where all would be silent and still, and each thing in its last place, under the last dust.”

check out eugene ionesco or jean genet as well, theyre pretty cool.

[9]

check out eugene ionesco or jean genet as well, theyre pretty cool.

thanks, I will look them up.

but yeah, for some reason people always assume that I have like all this extensive, obscure knowledge about literature and that I am really well-read (I work at a bar and I always get the comment that I am "very articulate":rolleyes: so I guess the assumption follows from that}, but I generally hate reading and I swear I could probably count on two hands the number of books I have read in my entire life, and its sort of embarrassing. so I am trying to make a concerted effort to start reading more.

so yeah, any suggestions people have of stuff that is sort of similar to beckett, or at least equally weird, would be much appreciated.

[blake 3:17]

Have you read any Ionesco? He was considered part of the Theatre of the Absurd that Beckett was often referenced to. Much more goofy & crackpot.

In terms of other artforms, I see Francis Bacon's paintings as roughly equivalent to Beckett.

[9]

Have you read any Ionesco?

Nah, but 'Dr Doom' recommended him earlier in the thread too. I will look for him next time I am at the library (which will most likely be beginning of next week}. Anything in particular by him that you (and/or Dr Doom} would recommend?


In terms of other artforms, I see Francis Bacon's paintings as roughly equivalent to Beckett.Yeah, I love Francis Bacon's art.

[blake 3:17]

The Lesson and The Chairs were my favourite of Ionesco's. Should read em again!

Do you know Genet's theatre? My favourites of his are The Balcony and The Blacks. They're much more explicitly political, than the others.

There's a film version of The Balcony which I'd love to see again.

[Sasha]

If you can find it read some Maurice Maeterlinck, symbolist playwright, very popular even won the nobel literature prize and then the catholic church blacklisted him and he was basicly forgotten until recently.

[9]

If you can find it read some Maurice Maeterlinck, symbolist playwright, very popular even won the nobel literature prize and then the catholic church blacklisted him and he was basicly forgotten until recently.

Is it all plays or does he write any like regular fiction? I have never actually read a play so I am not quite sure how that works haha

[Sasha]

Dylan Thomas wrote very nice short stories too btw..

[blake 3:17]

I have never actually read a play so I am not quite sure how that works haha

It can depend. There's nothing especially difficult about reading a play. Really depends on the playwright. I used to read a lot of plays -- for the most part the secret of reading scripts is remembering where the dialogue/action is taking place and making note of who joins and leaves a scene..

In the past few weeks I've read a whole whack of middle brow fairly decent mystery/suspense fiction, and one thing I am struck by is how often I'm reminded of who is who and where the characters are, etc. It's not a bad technique for for popular writing, though can irritate close readers.