The complete critical guide to Samuel Beckett / David Pattie.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pattie, David, 1963-

Series:

Complete critical guide to English literature

The complete critical guide to English literature

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Beckett, Samuel, 1906-1989.

Beckett, Samuel.

Authors, Irish--20th century--Biography.

Authors, Irish.

Authors, French--20th century--Biography.

Authors, French.

Beckett, Samuel, 1906-1989--Outlines, syllabi, etc.

Genre:

Biographies.

Outlines and syllabi.

Physical Description:

viii, 220 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Routledge, 2000.

Summary:

Many courses on twentieth century literature begin with Beckett. However, strange as it may seem, this book is the first single-authored introductory guide which covers life and contexts, work and criticism, as well as poetry, prose, drama, and radio plays.

Contents:

Part I Life and Contexts 3

(a) The early years: 1906-1927 5

(b) The young writer: 1928-1939 11

(c) War and Watt: 1939-1946 27

(d) 'The Siege in the Room': 1945-1953 30

(e) Fame: 1953-1969 35

(f) Last years: 1970-1989 43

Part II Work 49

(a) The early prose: 1929-1945 51

(i) 'Assumption' to More Pricks than Kicks 51

(ii) Murphy 57

(iii) Watt 60

(b) Beckett's post-war work: 1945-1960 63

(i) The turn to monologue 63

(ii) Mercier and Camier and the Nouvelles 64

(iii) The Trilogy 66

(iv) Eleutheria and Waiting for Godot 73

(v) Endgame 76

(vi) Post-Endgame drama 78

(vii) Post-Trilogy prose and How It Is 80

(viii) Happy Days 82

(c) The later work: 1960-1989 84

(i) Experiments in prose 85

(ii) Experiments in theatre 88

(iii) Experiments in radio, film and television 93

(iv) Company, Ill Seen Ill Said, Worstward Ho and Stirrings Still 94

(d) Beckett the poet 98

Part III Criticism 101

(a) Beckett the Cartesian: 1959-1969 105

(b) The Beckett industry: 1970-1980 125

(ii) Prose 136

(iii) Drama/theatre 139

(iv) Philosophical/theoretical studies 144

(v) Poetry/media/other studies 150

(c) Theoretical Beckett: 1980-1995 152

(i) Structuralism, post-structuralism and postmodernism 154

(ii) Feminist criticism 171

(iii) Psychoanalytic/mythic criticism 175

(iv) Humanist/introductory/miscellaneous criticism 180

(d) Recent criticism: 1995- 194.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 207-214) and index.

ISBN:

0415202531

041520254X

OCLC:

44502292