Samuel Beckett and the Writing Genius
Samuel Beckett wrote enduring works of art the imperishability of which is proven by the widely read body of original material and by the numerous reviews and critical approaches to his work. Thus, a unique dimension of his entire creative life, represented by the capacity, structure and movement of the language remains impressive even today, twenty years after his death. What is it thus that makes this author so controversial and widely debated at
conferences and congresses? Is it the mysterious air of his work or rather the windings and the ups and downs that transform our reading into a potent experience which enables the reader “to come alive in his mind,” to quote from Murphy? To this author’s mind, in the end it is the intellectual and emotional exaltation elicited by his novels and short stories which is most important. Some reasons are: his workings are accounts of memorable events in time
and space that captivate the reader with their comical implication and inquisitive problematic tone. These are dimensions of our reading that elicit an emotional response quite hard to resist. However, are these features numerous and relevant enough to account for his success? Are there enough translations for the Romanian reader to attain a fair perspective on Beckett’s creative genius? These are some of the main questions that I will answer in this essay.
Keywords: writing, imperishable, comic, idyllic, tragic, reception, translation, lyrical
1. See also parts of Samuel Beckett’s letter to Thomas McGreevy in Mark Nixon (ed.) “Beckett and Romanticism in the 1930s“, Samuel Beckett Today/Aujourd’hui 18 (2007),Rpt. in ‘All Sturm and noDrang’”Beckett and Romanticism.Beckett at Reading 2006. 61-70. Print.
2. See also: Un regizor dorit acum ca in anii ‘60. 05. Nov. 2009,<http://www.interceptor.ro/module-Pagesetter-viewpub-tid-3-pid- 68269.phtml>
3. See also Samuel Beckett, “Fără”, Trans. Ioana Creţulescu. Viaţa Românească 3 (1970): 91-93.
4. See especially: Anca-Maria Rusu. Eugen Ionescu şi Samuel Beckett în spaţiul cultural românesc. (Iaşi: Timpul. 2000). After 1990, the reader interested in the interpretations to
Beckett’s work benefited only from the preface and postface of the volume of translations published by “Univers” publishing house and from the commentaries and essays published by the cultural press.
5. See especially Greenwald Hebert, “Reimt Charlot auf Godot? Samuel Beckett.“ Warten auf Godot“ National Theater ,,I.L. Caragiale”, Neue Literatur No.5,35(1983),p. 81-82, Print.
6. See also Samuel Beckett, Watt, London, John Calder, 1976 in Mark Nixon, ‘Guess where’: From Reading to Writing in Beckett. 20 Oct.2009 <http:// www.antwerpjamesjoycecenter. com/GJ S6/GJS6Nixon.htm>.
7. see German Diaries, 7 Nov. 1936, Beckett International Foundation, Reading University Library in Dirk van Hulle, Mark Nixon ed. “All Sturm and no Drang Beckett and Romanticism. Beckett at Reading 2006” ,Samuel Beckett Today/Aujourd’hui, Amsterdam: Rodopi. 2007, 33- 40, Rpt. In Print. Print.
8. see Samuel Beckett, The Complete Short Prose. 1929-1989. New York, Grove Press. Ed. S.E. Gontarski, 1995.
9. Samuel Beckett, Mercier and Camier, p. 90. But cf. Camier on the same subject: ‘We are notfaring for the love offaring, that I know of […] Cunts we maybe, but not to that extent’ (Beckett 67)
10. Wheatly, David, “Slippery Sam and Tomtinker Tim“ W e b .15Sept.2009,<http://georgiasam.blogspot.com/search?q=samuel++beckett>
11. See also Eoin O’Brien, The Beckett Country. Samuel Beckett’s Ireland,Dublin, The Black Cat Press, Faber and Faber,1986.
12. See Samuel Beckett, Nohow On.Company. Ill Seen Ill Said.Worstward Ho.(NewYork: Grove Press.1996.)
13. Finney, Brian. “Samuel Beckett’s Postmodern Fiction”.29 Oct. 2009.<http://www.Csulb.ed/~bhfinney/ -beckett.html>
14. See”The Story”:<http://www.enotes.com/endsamuel-beckett-salem/end>14Oct.2009.
15. Samuel Beckett, The Complete Short Prose 1929-1989,New York, Grove Press.Ed.S.E.Gontarski, 1995.
16. See Tudor Arghezi, 26.Jan.2010< http://artzone.ro/ literatura/comentariu/ flori_de_mucigai_tudor_arghezi_referat.html/>
17. Cassian, Nina, “Pe o temă de Beckett“,Luceafarul, 5(1994):6.
18. Nina Cassian, “Pe o temă de Beckett“, Luceafărul, 5(1994):6. ourtranslation.
