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Review
'[A] magnificent volume of letters ... painstakingly prepared by the editors.' Irish Times 'Not to beat about the bush, here's the book of the year ... Beckett's is the most significant literary correspondence of its time ... a marvellous book.' Evening Standard 'The waiting is over ... as painstakingly researched and rewarding as the first volume ... This meticulous, all-encompassing collection is the sweetest of treats for Beckett fans.' Sunday Times Ireland 'It is hard ... to read this 800-page tome and not come away rather liking Sam Beckett.' Irish Daily Mail 'The best news is there are still two volumes left to come ... this project should constitute one of the most valuable feats of literary scholarship to appear in the past 50 years.' Sunday Times 'The Cambridge University Press edition of Samuel Beckett's letters is shaping up to be an imposing edifice of literary scholarship ... Beckett's letters are a joy to read.' Sunday Business Post 'It sheds a lot of light on his friendships, and more generally. It's illuminating, even for people who knew him very well.' Edward Beckett, Irish Times 'Despite the size of the book, every effort has been expended by the editors to assist the reader. Almost every detail has been helpfully annotated; a precise chronology for each year has been provided, noting the main events in Beckett's career and the principal current events ... This is a book to treasure.' The Irish Independent 'Speaks volumes about Beckett ... A fascinating aspect of the letters is witnessing the emergence of an artist, and the inward turn necessary to fulfil his great vision ... Perhaps the chief pleasure of this volume is the cliche-busting Beckett that emerges.' Irish Examiner 'A sequel much richer than the first, retracing Beckett's core literary output. And what majestic, impassioned letters! The editorial team hits the right notes: useful supporting apparatus; extensive translations from French; but best of all, selections of Beckett often at his best, 'searching for a way of capitulating without giving up utterance - entirely'.' Matthew Feldman, Times Higher Education 'Beckett lovers ... will give thanks for the concerted scholarship of this perfectly pitched quartet of editor-translator-chroniclers.' Independent on Sunday 'The second volume of what looks set to be a major achievement of 21st century publishing, an astonishing work of scholarship, appraisal and documentation ... The erudite and indefatigable editors have put together an outstanding and illuminating selection from Beckett's correspondence with friends, acquaintances, publishers, translators, all kinds of business associates - all having a bearing, in some sense or other, on the imperishable work.' The Independent 'A very full and rewarding read.' The Bookbag 'These letters ... remind us how indomitable and irresistible [Beckett] was.' The Spectator 'Letter by letter, Beckett's genius is revealed ... a marvellous book.' The Scotsman
Review
'[A] magnificent volume of letters … painstakingly prepared by the editors.' Irish Times
'Not to beat about the bush, here's the book of the year … Beckett's is the most significant literary correspondence of its time … a marvellous book.' Evening Standard
'The waiting is over … as painstakingly researched and rewarding as the first volume … This meticulous, all-encompassing collection is the sweetest of treats for Beckett fans.' Sunday Times Ireland
'It is hard … to read this 800-page tome and not come away rather liking Sam Beckett.' Irish Daily Mail
'The best news is there are still two volumes left to come … this project should constitute one of the most valuable feats of literary scholarship to appear in the past 50 years.' Sunday Times
'The Cambridge University Press edition of Samuel Beckett's letters is shaping up to be an imposing edifice of literary scholarship … Beckett's letters are a joy to read.' Sunday Business Post
'It sheds a lot of light on his friendships, and more generally. It's illuminating, even for people who knew him very well.' Edward Beckett, Irish Times
'Despite the size of the book, every effort has been expended by the editors to assist the reader. Almost every detail has been helpfully annotated; a precise chronology for each year has been provided, noting the main events in Beckett's career and the principal current events … This is a book to treasure.' The Irish Independent
'Speaks volumes about Beckett … A fascinating aspect of the letters is witnessing the emergence of an artist, and the inward turn necessary to fulfil his great vision … Perhaps the chief pleasure of this volume is the cliché-busting Beckett that emerges.' Irish Examiner
'A sequel much richer than the first, retracing Beckett's core literary output. And what majestic, impassioned letters! The editorial team hits the right notes: useful supporting apparatus; extensive translations from French; but best of all, selections of Beckett often at his best, 'searching for a way of capitulating without giving up utterance - entirely'.' Matthew Feldman, Times Higher Education
'Beckett lovers … will give thanks for the concerted scholarship of this perfectly pitched quartet of editor-translator-chroniclers.' Independent on Sunday
'The second volume of what looks set to be a major achievement of 21st century publishing, an astonishing work of scholarship, appraisal and documentation … The erudite and indefatigable editors have put together an outstanding and illuminating selection from Beckett's correspondence with friends, acquaintances, publishers, translators, all kinds of business associates - all having a bearing, in some sense or other, on the imperishable work.' The Independent
'A very full and rewarding read.' The Bookbag
'These letters … remind us how indomitable and irresistible [Beckett] was.' The Spectator
'Letter by letter, Beckett's genius is revealed … a marvellous book.' The Scotsman
'Not to beat about the bush, here's the book of the year … Beckett's is the most significant literary correspondence of its time … a marvellous book.' Evening Standard
'The waiting is over … as painstakingly researched and rewarding as the first volume … This meticulous, all-encompassing collection is the sweetest of treats for Beckett fans.' Sunday Times Ireland
'It is hard … to read this 800-page tome and not come away rather liking Sam Beckett.' Irish Daily Mail
'The best news is there are still two volumes left to come … this project should constitute one of the most valuable feats of literary scholarship to appear in the past 50 years.' Sunday Times
'The Cambridge University Press edition of Samuel Beckett's letters is shaping up to be an imposing edifice of literary scholarship … Beckett's letters are a joy to read.' Sunday Business Post
'It sheds a lot of light on his friendships, and more generally. It's illuminating, even for people who knew him very well.' Edward Beckett, Irish Times
'Despite the size of the book, every effort has been expended by the editors to assist the reader. Almost every detail has been helpfully annotated; a precise chronology for each year has been provided, noting the main events in Beckett's career and the principal current events … This is a book to treasure.' The Irish Independent
'Speaks volumes about Beckett … A fascinating aspect of the letters is witnessing the emergence of an artist, and the inward turn necessary to fulfil his great vision … Perhaps the chief pleasure of this volume is the cliché-busting Beckett that emerges.' Irish Examiner
'A sequel much richer than the first, retracing Beckett's core literary output. And what majestic, impassioned letters! The editorial team hits the right notes: useful supporting apparatus; extensive translations from French; but best of all, selections of Beckett often at his best, 'searching for a way of capitulating without giving up utterance - entirely'.' Matthew Feldman, Times Higher Education
'Beckett lovers … will give thanks for the concerted scholarship of this perfectly pitched quartet of editor-translator-chroniclers.' Independent on Sunday
'The second volume of what looks set to be a major achievement of 21st century publishing, an astonishing work of scholarship, appraisal and documentation … The erudite and indefatigable editors have put together an outstanding and illuminating selection from Beckett's correspondence with friends, acquaintances, publishers, translators, all kinds of business associates - all having a bearing, in some sense or other, on the imperishable work.' The Independent
'A very full and rewarding read.' The Bookbag
'These letters … remind us how indomitable and irresistible [Beckett] was.' The Spectator
'Letter by letter, Beckett's genius is revealed … a marvellous book.' The Scotsman
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
This second volume of correspondence covers the years from 1941 to 1956, and includes the author's various artistic, commercial and legal concerns relating to the evolution and assimilation of some of his most important and interesting works, such as Watt, Mercier and Camier, The End, Molloy, Malone Dies, The Unnamable and, of course, Waiting for Godot. There are also many insights into the 'ordinary' life of the man as well as the writer, as he discusses everything from nagging colds to exciting excursions to the music hall and the theatre. One cannot really summarise such a vast range of letters to so many different kinds of correspondents, but one can certainly confirm that any reader will encounter innumerable fascinating details as he or she moves from page to page. One little piece of trivia, for example, occurs in a letter written in 1955, when Beckett relates, with a hint of excitement, that a New York promoter was attempting to stage Godot on Broadway with Buster Keaton as Vladimir and Marlon Brando as Estragon. Another tiny but intriguing remark occurs in a letter dated the following year, when (eight years before the making of Film) the author expresses his disenchantment with the cinema, writing: 'The cinema was killed in the cradle and if ever there is an Elijah to lie himself down on the corpse I won't be there to profit by it'. There are also many passages when, during the course of accounting the prosaic details of his everyday life, his style, his syntax, is the most interesting aspect of the discussion (e.g. 'I'm writing one short act straight into English. Nothing better to do here. I've planted some trees, including a cedar of Lebanon. I've seen no-one').
As far as the production of the book itself is concerned, the paper quality is rather better than that of the previous volume, but there is still a nagging feeling that, with no fewer than four distinct editors, there were 'too many cooks' involved in the preparation, with some of the overly intricate and/or dubious footnotes creating a messy look without contributing much in the way of enlightenment. The index, too, is much too basic and imprecise for a book such as this, and will not be of much help to anyone who is searching for specific details among the 692 pages of text. In general, however, the format - which, as with the previous volume, presents each letter first in the language in which it was written, followed by an English language translation - works well, and most of the additional explanatory material, such as the appendix of brief profiles of some of the figures discussed, is potentially very useful.
For any student and/or admirer of Samuel Beckett and his work this volume will be an essential reference book, as well as a treasure trove of tiny but telling insights. I'm certainly very grateful to have it.
As far as the production of the book itself is concerned, the paper quality is rather better than that of the previous volume, but there is still a nagging feeling that, with no fewer than four distinct editors, there were 'too many cooks' involved in the preparation, with some of the overly intricate and/or dubious footnotes creating a messy look without contributing much in the way of enlightenment. The index, too, is much too basic and imprecise for a book such as this, and will not be of much help to anyone who is searching for specific details among the 692 pages of text. In general, however, the format - which, as with the previous volume, presents each letter first in the language in which it was written, followed by an English language translation - works well, and most of the additional explanatory material, such as the appendix of brief profiles of some of the figures discussed, is potentially very useful.
For any student and/or admirer of Samuel Beckett and his work this volume will be an essential reference book, as well as a treasure trove of tiny but telling insights. I'm certainly very grateful to have it.
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
It's a huge book so I shall be brief. A book for Beckett enthusiasts rather than general readers and continuing on from the well-received first volume, this collection of Beckett's letters covers the period that saw him achieve success with some of his most famous work including the classic play, Waiting for Godot. Beckett only allowed letters that directly related to his work to be published so those in search of something more intimate will be disappointed. But for those with a keen interest in the man and his work there will doubtless be plenty in here to satisfy as well as the pleasure that comes from having such an exhaustive reference on the shelf for years to come.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
There are points in the letters which open up insights into Beckett's world that justify hours of hunting but there is also a lot of literary superfluity here.
The question anyone has to ask is: whether someone were to publish Beckett's shopping list, or jobs to do at home list - would that be of interest, or value?
There is a curious contradiction in our grasp of literature and the notion of authorship. From the extremity of denying the subject as author to the other extreme of reading a writer's life retrospectively through the great works they produce. Did Beckett know what he was producing? I think we have to be cautious here - you write out of necessity, of some compulsion that has its roots just out of sight. As a writer you try to reach in and grasp that root, to find what burns you, compels you to put pen to paper and articulate what seems worthless. But you do it anyway. Is there a clue in your outward life or do you write letters semi-consciously? Do you suspect that what you are writing has something more - possibly.
This is the conundrum at the heart of these letters. Did Beckett know his place? Or did this acute awareness shadow these letters and make them semi-literary products in their own right?
You decide.
The question anyone has to ask is: whether someone were to publish Beckett's shopping list, or jobs to do at home list - would that be of interest, or value?
There is a curious contradiction in our grasp of literature and the notion of authorship. From the extremity of denying the subject as author to the other extreme of reading a writer's life retrospectively through the great works they produce. Did Beckett know what he was producing? I think we have to be cautious here - you write out of necessity, of some compulsion that has its roots just out of sight. As a writer you try to reach in and grasp that root, to find what burns you, compels you to put pen to paper and articulate what seems worthless. But you do it anyway. Is there a clue in your outward life or do you write letters semi-consciously? Do you suspect that what you are writing has something more - possibly.
This is the conundrum at the heart of these letters. Did Beckett know his place? Or did this acute awareness shadow these letters and make them semi-literary products in their own right?
You decide.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not really
This is for those who are deeply intrested in the man and his life. I am not in that category. Most of it is basic mumbo jumbo to me. Read more
Published 6 months ago by D Deacon
Of more interest to Beckett scholars than general readers
This 800-odd page tome is doubtless of great interest to serious Beckett scholars, whether their particular interest is in the works or the man, but for the general reader it is... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Alan Pavelin
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