Beckett was a rather complex Irish individual. He penned some truly brilliant works and also some that weren't quite as outstanding. In Fahrenheit 451, one can't help but think that perhaps books were burned because they read The Unnamable. Incidentally, it's indeed a rather apt name for the book, but let's not dwell on that further.

I wouldn't highly recommend this entire collection. Instead, just focus on reading Waiting for Godot, the combination of Endgame and Act Without Words, and don't worry too much about the other plays. If you really must, then Happy Days is a somewhat decent piece. Those other works might shine in a theatrical setting but not so much as reading material. And this is coming from someone who counts Beckett as their favorite writer. Here's a fun fact: he's my favorite, yet the best book I've ever read is Stoner by John Williams.

You can extract a great deal of black humor from Beckett's works. “Nothing is funnier than unhappiness.” Well, until you find yourself embroiled in the story, nothing seems funnier. But in a way, we're all part of it. One can't help but wonder if all stories are essentially the same. It's all a cycle of events that have occurred and are happening again. We're all striving towards a goal, hoping to achieve happiness and feel special. Once we reach that goal, we then set our sights on another and wait for that special something to arrive. We're all waiting for Godot. We frequent new restaurants, pubs, and travel to distant and beautiful places, believing that we're not part of the same old story. But if you visit those new restaurants, pubs, and faraway places enough times, you'll realize that you're essentially standing on the same stage, just with different scenery. And then everything eventually returns to nothingness, only to start anew. I often wonder if there's an all-powerful being out there who toys with his characters, much like Beckett does, simply to pass the time.

Some of the things he wrote are truly memorable.

Hamm: What's he doing?
(CLOV raises lid of NAGG's bin, stoops, looks into it. Pause.)
Clov: He's crying.
(He closes lid, straightens up)
Hamm: Then he's living.

There's a rather amusing anecdote about Beckett. He was walking with a friend through a London park and commented that it was a nice day. The friend responded, "Yes, it makes one glad to be alive." Beckett's reply was rather characteristic: "I wouldn’t go that far."

Beckett plays need to be watched not read.

His works are renowned for their unique theatricality and the power they hold when presented on stage.

Reading a Beckett play can give you an idea of the words and the basic structure, but it fails to capture the full essence and impact.

The visual elements, the movements of the actors, the lighting, and the sound all contribute to creating a truly immersive experience.

When you watch a Beckett play, you can see how the characters interact in the physical space, how their expressions and gestures add depth to the dialogue.

The pauses, the silences, and the rhythms of the performance are all crucial aspects that are lost in the act of reading.

Only by witnessing a Beckett play live can you fully appreciate the genius of his work and understand the profound themes and emotions he conveys.

So, if you want to truly experience the magic of Beckett's plays, make sure to go and watch them on stage.

I don't really have any jokes about this one. His expression of humanity through absurd characters and structures is truly very soulful. It is not only soulful but also highly impressive on an architectural level. While some of the plays may sometimes fall into the trap of self-indulgence or repetition, it cannot be denied that all of them possess his excellent sensibilities for aesthetics. This is something that you should definitely read. It offers a unique perspective on the human condition, presented in a way that is both thought-provoking and engaging. The absurdity of the characters and structures adds an element of intrigue and mystery, making it a truly captivating read. Whether you are a fan of theater or simply interested in exploring different forms of literature, this is a work that is well worth your time.

(Grumpy)

Once upon a time, there was a very grumpy person. This individual seemed to be in a constant state of annoyance and dissatisfaction. Everything and everyone around them seemed to rub them the wrong way. They would frown at the slightest inconvenience and snap at those who tried to approach them.

People in the community quickly learned to avoid this grumpy person, as their negative attitude was contagious and could bring down the mood of an entire gathering. However, deep down inside, the grumpy person was actually quite lonely. They longed for connection and friendship, but their grumpiness was a shield that they had built up over time to protect themselves from getting hurt.

One day, a kind-hearted neighbor decided to reach out to the grumpy person. Despite the initial resistance and snappy remarks, the neighbor persisted in showing kindness and understanding. Slowly but surely, the grumpy person began to soften and open up. They realized that not everyone was out to get them and that there was still goodness and warmth in the world.

With the help of their neighbor, the grumpy person started to work on changing their attitude. They learned to look for the positive in every situation and to express their emotions in a more constructive way. As time passed, the grumpy person became less grumpy and more approachable. They made new friends and found happiness and fulfillment in their relationships.

The moral of the story is that even the grumpiest of people can change if they are given the opportunity and the support to do so. Kindness and understanding can go a long way in breaking down the barriers that we build around ourselves and in bringing out the best in us.

Premetto che "Aspettando Godot", the first text of this collection, truly deserves at least 4 stars on its own. However, considering it as part of an anthology, I wasn't overly impressed. This is mainly because Beckett's theater doesn't seem to be designed for the general public, but rather to carry forward the author's own concept of theater. It's crazy how, as we progress chronologically, all of his dramatic works are subjected to a radical project of eliminating the typical characteristics of the genre, ultimately reducing to a simple and pure image. Artistically speaking, the result is praiseworthy, but it's very little enjoyable for third parties. First, there is the pretense of doing theater, then the sense in the dialogue disappears, and finally even the action. This is where Beckett's genius lies, as he went against the commonly accepted idea of what theater is. But as for the final product, I wasn't able to appreciate it. Fundamental for the understanding - albeit cryptic - of these texts is the reading of the initial presentation.

With the minor exception of Rough for Radio I & II which, to me, felt too recycled and pointless, all the other works contained in here are sublime.

There might have been another small miss here, but that is just nitpicking considering the depth, richness, humour, love, and so on, contained in these works. They are so rich in interpretations and have a gorgeous construction. Despite leaving so much room for thought, they have a very thick and carefully constructed base that reaches far beyond merely being 'deep'.

Beckett cut out everything unnecessary and exposed the beauty underneath. Until only silence remained when he finally cut away all of the words. Silence, evidently, being the deepest of all sounds. This is such a rich and spectacular work. Whilst “Waiting for Godot” is his most famous work and is as good as that one is, in my opinion, he only became better after that. Almost every next play seems to be better. It is very hard to choose a favourite here, but “What Where” is probably mine. It just shows how many steps further he managed to take from the already brilliant “Waiting for Godot”.

Overall, Beckett's body of work is a testament to his genius and his ability to push the boundaries of literature and theatre. His works continue to inspire and challenge audiences and artists alike, and will no doubt do so for many years to come.

It took me over two months to complete this arduous task.

This collection consisted of more than 30 plays and radio scripts.

The experimental pieces towards the end left me completely baffled.

The shorter pieces that I read in the beginning have now faded from my memory.

However, there were a few works that were simply beyond comparison with anything I had ever read before.

'Krapp's Last Tape' was the most profound and moving portrayal of loneliness and loss that I have ever encountered.

I am almost at a loss for words when it comes to 'Waiting for Godot'.

'Film', Beckett's only movie script, was astonishingly excellent.

'Endgame' was at once poignant, concise, and humorous.

Act Without Words I was both hilarious and brilliant.

And 'Play' was simply delightful.

There were a few other pieces that I understood to some extent, still remember, and found to be quite satisfactory.

Rating a collection like this is no easy feat.

Therefore, here are the ratings of the individual pieces.

5 stars: Krapp's Last Tape, Waiting for Godot, Film.

4 stars: Endgame, Play, Act Without Words I.

3 stars: Act Without Words II, All that Fall, The Old Tune, Rough for Theatre I & II.

Testi molto difficili.

They are very difficult texts. It is advisable to read them not one after another, as it could be too burdensome. Read one, stop, think about it and then move on to the next, keeping in mind what was thought and understood of the previous one. The work of Beckett is very coherent and all the texts form the threads of a single discourse. It is right to have put them together, so as to be able to understand their deep unity.

These are texts that revolve around a theme: the difficulty of finding a meaning to this life (if not the impossibility). With 'Godot' we see that this absence of meaning does not prevent the scene from being lively, chaotic, rich in events and dialogues. In 'Godot' there is a struggle, a waste of one's energies that leads nowhere. But life is there and it is seen in the convulsive movements of the characters on stage.

As we proceed with the reading, the characters are increasingly in difficulty. With 'Finale...' and 'Tutti quelli...' the dialogue is still tight, but it becomes increasingly difficult for the characters to understand each other. And in the dialogue, often loquacious, we witness the solitude of the misunderstood. Subsequently, the dialogue becomes almost impossible: both with oneself (L'ultimo nastro...) and with the other (Giorni felici). And here we also witness the sacrifice of the body that can no longer move, that is blocked by old age (in the first case) or by being literally stuck in the ground (in the second). Until we arrive at 'Commedia' in which the characters are only heads that tell the same story, but from three conflicting points of view. The tragedy of misunderstanding subsequently turns into the bitter comedy of a love triangle in which each one lives his own pleasure at the expense of the other. In the last plays - the shortest ones - the character, now alone, has difficulty expressing his own existence through words. The discourse becomes fragmented, slow, repetitive, with logical twists: all to express the difficulty in being able to talk about oneself, in being able to define one's own self (so much so that one of these plays is called, precisely, 'Non io').

The body is omnipresent in Beckett, and it appears with its deep limitations. The eye is the organ that appears most often, always with numerous vision problems: the characters are very myopic or even blind, for this reason they use glasses, magnifying lenses or simply the presence of the other to orient themselves in the world. The latter, however, always eludes. The movement is always very sacrificed: either because of the little space, or because they are old, or because they are disabled, or because they are stuck in clods of earth or pits, or because they are forced to swing on a swing. There is no freedom, except a senseless struggle of movement for the sake of movement.

In summary: meaning is lacking, the other is distant, metaphysics is silent. And yet, this does not prevent us from taking the stage to represent human life. Which is, simply is.

The main part of this book, namely the major plays, is truly what makes it worthwhile.

Some of the smaller and more fleeting works do not translate well onto the written page and are generally rather tedious to read.

However, having said that, the main plays do manage to create a kind of meta world. It is a sort of non-situation, something that Kant or Heidegger might refer to as the background.

Becket's work constructs a structure upon which any subject matter can be hung. This is precisely why 'Waiting for Godot' has been read as a comment on Apartheid, as well as the more common existential readings.

Becket's plays involve elements such as timelessness, boredom, death, and nothingness. And really, what more could one possibly want from a book?

These plays offer a unique and profound exploration of the human condition, challenging our perceptions and making us think deeply about the nature of existence.

They are not easy reads, but they are undoubtedly rewarding for those who are willing to engage with them on a deeper level.

Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in literature, philosophy, or the exploration of the human psyche.

**Difficult to Appreciate**

Appreciation is a complex and subjective concept. What one person may find easy to appreciate, another may struggle with. There are many reasons why something might be difficult to appreciate. It could be due to a lack of knowledge or understanding about the subject matter. For example, a person who has no background in art may find it difficult to appreciate a modern painting that seems abstract and meaningless to them.

Another factor that can make appreciation difficult is personal taste. We all have our own preferences and biases when it comes to different things. What might appeal to one person's sense of style or aesthetics may not appeal to another. This can make it challenging to appreciate something that goes against our own personal tastes.

In addition, the context in which something is presented can also affect our ability to appreciate it. For instance, a piece of music that is played in a noisy and distracting environment may be difficult to fully appreciate compared to when it is played in a quiet and acoustically optimized setting.

Despite these challenges, it is still possible to develop the ability to appreciate things that are initially difficult to understand or like. By taking the time to learn more about the subject, exposing ourselves to different perspectives and experiences, and being open-minded, we can expand our capacity for appreciation and discover new and wonderful things in the world around us.

Astounding.

I never seem to tire of reading these wonderful works. The book in question contains my absolute favorite play, which always manages to capture my imagination and draw me in completely.

The radio pieces included are also a nice addition. From what I can tell, based on some of the things on the "Works for Radio" CD set from the BBC, at least some of these radio pieces seem to work better as texts than as dramatized pieces. However, that CD set is still worth getting, especially for the production of "All That Fall".

The roughs in the book remind me of the fizzles and texts that didn't quite amount to much in the prose writings. They give an interesting glimpse into the creative process and the evolution of the author's ideas. Overall, this collection is a treasure trove of literary gems that I will continue to return to time and time again.

Excellent.

Favorites, aside from the usual Godot/Endgame/Happy Days/Krapp, include “Play,” “Not I,” “Embers,” “That Time,” “Eh Joe,” “Rockaby.”

I have a strong desire to witness the performance of any of the plays in this book. Many of them require being experienced rather than simply read in order to fully understand Beckett's perspective. However, at least I have the option to watch filmed productions online. Fortunately, I've managed to locate most of the radio and television plays as well. This gives me the opportunity to engage with Beckett's works in a more immersive way, even if I can't be in a theater to see the live performances.

It's truly fascinating to explore the different interpretations and presentations of these plays through various mediums. Each one offers a unique insight into Beckett's complex and often profound ideas. I look forward to continuing my exploration of his works and seeing how they come to life in different settings.