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Hearing this, you at once realise Beckett's crisp prose is ideally suited to the audiobook medium. In first person narration we hear Molloy is first seeking his mother, then, in the second section, being pursued himself by Moran, a private detective. Yes, we are on familiar Beckett territory, yet this early work raises not only questions of being and aloneness it is also richly comical. A great introduction to Beckett before venturing into his later, darker works. --Bukowski on Bukowski zine
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
Book Description
New edition of the classic novel, published for the first time by Faber with an introduction by Beckett scholar Shane Weller.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Most readers come to Samuel Beckett through a reading of one of his famous plays. 'Waiting For Godot' in particular is a set text in many schools. The irony of this is that most of these readers go no further than the relatively approachable dramatic works, and so remain unaware of the range and difficulty of Beckett's achievements in prose. Where to start with the latter?
'Molloy', composed during the same period as 'Godot', is actually Beckett's fifth novel, after 'Dream of Fair To Middling Women' (written in 1932 but not published until 1993), 'Murphy' (1938), 'Watt' (1941-45, published 1953) and 'Mercier and Camier' (written in French from 1946 but not published until 1970 in French and in altered form in English in 1974). 'Molloy' (1951 in French) also forms the first part of Beckett's loose 'Trilogy' but does not need to be read in that form to be appreciated.
The reader who comes to 'Molloy' without any other preparation will encounter difficulties, but should persist. Beckett has little interest in the conventional presentation of narrative and plot: 'Molloy' hangs together it seems by the sheer force of will of its characters as embodied in their speaking voices. Those voices are sometimes confused, sometimes infuriatingly repetitive or obsessive. Meaning emerges cumulatively.
The novel is divided into two halves, which suggests a structure based on both repetition and mirroring. Each presents the story of a man - Molloy and Moran respectively - engaged on a journey: in Molloy's case, to visit his mother; in Moran's, to find Molloy. So far, so simple. But in both cases the task proves almost impossible to complete. Beckett drags the reader through literal and figurative forests and wildernesses in pursuit of goals that may be completely illusory, in which simple physical tasks take on obscure spiritual significance, and in which the only certainty is bodily and mental disintegration. Molloy's narrative is the wilder and more difficult; Moran's the more studied and - only apparently - straightforward. Throughout, Beckett demonstrates why he is regarded as one of the most important writers of the twentieth century - certainly the most significant in this mode since Kafka - and incidentally why he is one of the funniest, so long as your taste is for gallows humour.
A work of existentialist genius, easily the equal of 'Godot', but not recommended for the impatient. 'Mercier and Camier' or the sublime 'Murphy' might be an easier way in for the unsure.
'Molloy', composed during the same period as 'Godot', is actually Beckett's fifth novel, after 'Dream of Fair To Middling Women' (written in 1932 but not published until 1993), 'Murphy' (1938), 'Watt' (1941-45, published 1953) and 'Mercier and Camier' (written in French from 1946 but not published until 1970 in French and in altered form in English in 1974). 'Molloy' (1951 in French) also forms the first part of Beckett's loose 'Trilogy' but does not need to be read in that form to be appreciated.
The reader who comes to 'Molloy' without any other preparation will encounter difficulties, but should persist. Beckett has little interest in the conventional presentation of narrative and plot: 'Molloy' hangs together it seems by the sheer force of will of its characters as embodied in their speaking voices. Those voices are sometimes confused, sometimes infuriatingly repetitive or obsessive. Meaning emerges cumulatively.
The novel is divided into two halves, which suggests a structure based on both repetition and mirroring. Each presents the story of a man - Molloy and Moran respectively - engaged on a journey: in Molloy's case, to visit his mother; in Moran's, to find Molloy. So far, so simple. But in both cases the task proves almost impossible to complete. Beckett drags the reader through literal and figurative forests and wildernesses in pursuit of goals that may be completely illusory, in which simple physical tasks take on obscure spiritual significance, and in which the only certainty is bodily and mental disintegration. Molloy's narrative is the wilder and more difficult; Moran's the more studied and - only apparently - straightforward. Throughout, Beckett demonstrates why he is regarded as one of the most important writers of the twentieth century - certainly the most significant in this mode since Kafka - and incidentally why he is one of the funniest, so long as your taste is for gallows humour.
A work of existentialist genius, easily the equal of 'Godot', but not recommended for the impatient. 'Mercier and Camier' or the sublime 'Murphy' might be an easier way in for the unsure.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I find it difficult to review books but I am not daunted by the task of reviewing this one because Beckett was economical with words.
Therefore to him this review has already descended into digression. It should be succinct to be in keeping with his style of brevity in description. One word names for the characters are characteristic of his economy; Molloy, Youdi, Malone, Martha.
The uncertainty of the narrative voice indicates a unique mode of storytelling pioneered by Beckett. The character Molloy is aware that he has an illegitimate leg but cannot tell the reader which one it is. There are many other examples of imprecision but I fear I have said enough already.
People should read this book after reading Kafka's The Trial and make up they're own minds about it. I found Molloy uncommonly frustrating but ultimately an entertaining, amusing and vulgar book.
Therefore to him this review has already descended into digression. It should be succinct to be in keeping with his style of brevity in description. One word names for the characters are characteristic of his economy; Molloy, Youdi, Malone, Martha.
The uncertainty of the narrative voice indicates a unique mode of storytelling pioneered by Beckett. The character Molloy is aware that he has an illegitimate leg but cannot tell the reader which one it is. There are many other examples of imprecision but I fear I have said enough already.
People should read this book after reading Kafka's The Trial and make up they're own minds about it. I found Molloy uncommonly frustrating but ultimately an entertaining, amusing and vulgar book.
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