I bought this book few years ago, when I was still new to the writings of Samuel Beckett. Today, however I rate Beckett very highly. He has been an inspiration to many. I admire the unique and arcane atmosphere he is able to create with his characters, who frequently appear to be too intimate to one's entity. I also admire the illusion of straightforward storytelling and it's poetic repetition. I feel that he has given to the drama a new dimension and fresh originality.

I often find myself spontaneously re-reading fragments or short paragraphs from this collection. It is a pity that those who appreciate Beckett's twisted perception of humanity are deprived of this volume.

i know more about radishes than i do of mans destiny...you have to read this book if you ever felt like you wanted to hear little anecdotes on Sam .It really is a lovely read and shows how private a being he was.I would love to hear his voice someday. RIP.

Of scholars in the field who have published extended studies of Beckett's early prose (Dream of Fair to middling Women, More Pricks Than Kicks, Murphy, and Watt) three stand above the others and are required reading on the subject for scholars. Anthony Farrow's Art and Allusion ... is one. It is hampered by the lack of an index and extraordinarily poor proofreading. Lawrence Harvey's Samuel Beckett: Poet and Critic is another. Published in 1970, it is out of print, a big shame. Harvey's is the only serious study of Beckett's poetry. The style of both Farrow and Harvey is discursive. Rubin Rabinovitz's The Development of Samuel Beckett's Fiction is the third, written in a more concise scholarly style that makes it the most entertaining of the three for the non-specialist. Rabinovitz is likely to be the most useful to the specialist as well, though of course this depends on what you're after. I have equally high praise for all that Rabinovitz has written on Beckett; there is a particular lack of competition on the subject of the early prose. I have not read John Pilling's new book Beckett Before Godot, and there are, as one would expect, numerous article-length studies of the early prose that are required reading for the specialist.

Of scholars in the field who have published extended studies of Beckett's early prose (Dream of Fair to middling Women, More Pricks Than Kicks, Murphy, and Watt) three stand above the others and are required reading on the subject for scholars. Anthony Farrow's Art and Allusion ... is one. It is hampered by the lack of an index and extraordinarily poor proofreading. Lawrence Harvey's Samuel Beckett: Poet and Critic is another. Published in 1970, it is out of print, a big shame. Harvey's is the only serious study of Beckett's poetry. The style of both Farrow and Harvey is discursive. Rubin Rabinovitz's The Development of Samuel Beckett's Fiction is the third, written in a more concise scholarly style that makes it the most entertaining of the three for the non-specialist. Rabinovitz is likely to be the most useful to the specialist as well, though of course this depends on what you're after. I have not read John Pilling's new book Beckett Before Godot, and there are, as one would expect, numerous article-length studies of the early prose that are required reading for the specialist.

After the end of the Second World War, a number of African Americans, including many of our most talented intellectuals, decided that America was just not a sufficiently hospitable home. Those who could left for Europe. Many, landed in Paris, which provided a far more civilized society.

Literary giants like James Baldwin, Richard Wright and other intellectuals found a place where their worth was determined by things more significant than skin color. This is the story of their experiences.

Another book worth searching for.

An essential tool for anyone interesting in producing Samuel Beckett's full-length play, Happy Days, this production notebook serves as an explanation to not only the author's sometimes unrecognized references and sources as well as difficulties with the technical elements of production (for example, how the original production coped with the necessity for a flaming parasol). Even if one is not looking to produce Happy Days for the stage, Beckett's production notebook is a great insight into the character Winnie, whose intelligence is equivocal to Beckett's own and draws (often without the reader's knowledge, save for this notebook) from Keats, Browning, and Shakespeare. Reading the author's notes on both the play as a piece of literature and as a theatrical event also gives one a better understanding of Beckett as playwright and as an imminent literary figure of the twentieth century. True scholars of Beckett will also enjoy the copies of handwritten notes, transcribed into type on adjoining pages. This notebook is a perfect tool for dramaturgy or for simply gaining a better understanding of this Beckettian masterpiece.

The book is interesting, lively, original, witty and provocative...a remarkable work and an impressive contribution to critical debates on the novel. David Daiches Blurb

This books confirms--as if any of you were doubters--that in addition to his writings, Samuel B. was one of the coolest LOOKING human beings who has ever graced our environs. From the beauty of his "eagle" haircut to the absolutely perfect crease in his trousers, this book captures it ALL. He hangs out, drinks coffee, has a smoke, similar to mortals you'n'me. Best bet: look at the pictures in this book while listening to the old Columbia recording of Bert Lahr and E.G. Marshall doing "Waiting For . . .". I'll tell ya, like a Chesterfield, it satisfies!

Of scholars in the field who have published extended studies of Beckett's early prose (Dream of Fair to middling Women, More Pricks Than Kicks, Murphy, and Watt) three stand above the others and are required reading on the subject for scholars. Anthony Farrow's Art and Allusion ... is one. It is hampered by the lack of an index and extraordinarily poor proofreading. Lawrence Harvey's Samuel Beckett: Poet and Critic is another. Published in 1970, it is out of print, a big shame. Harvey's is the only serious study of Beckett's poetry. The style of both Farrow and Harvey is discursive. Rubin Rabinovitz's The Development of Samuel Beckett's Fiction is the third, written in a more concise scholarly style that makes it the most entertaining of the three for the non-specialist. Rabinovitz is likely to be the most useful to the specialist as well, though of course this depends on what you're after. I have not read John Pilling's new book Beckett Before Godot, and there are, as one would expect, numerous article-length studies of the early prose that are required reading for the specialist.

This critical study of Samuel Beckett's prose aptly relies on post-structural thought to investigate a highly challenging text. Without simplifying or mystifying the difficulty of Beckett's prose, this book is written with much intelligence, elegance and rigor. Commendable.