Samuel Beckett was a fiercely private individual who hoped in vain that his legions of admirers would concentrate their attention on his work and leave his life alone. Not that he had anything to be ashamed about; his life was marked by extraordinary commitment, bravery, and kindness. He simply felt that one function of art is to transmute the personal into the universal. To reverse the process struck him as wrongheaded.
The clip above is the introduction to a 90 minute documentary on Beckett’s life and art and their possible relationship. The film is as good an overview of the subject as we are likely to see. For those who want the work itself, straight, no chaser, I recommend starting with these:
Krapp’s Last Tape with Patrick Magee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77qRF1qQHiE
Happy Days with Billie Whitelaw (Excerpt)
http://youtu.be/xZs3nDz00LI
Come and Go
http://youtu.be/CaifMUo91Ds
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Because of his uncompromising vision, Beckett is often termed a pessimist. This scarcely addresses the humor and compassion that infuse his writings. “The key word in my work,” he would gently repeat, “is perhaps”.
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