Samuel Beckett – the complete works
C=criticism
D=drama
F=fiction
P=poetry
T=translation
X=miscellaneous
Beckett is an interesting case of a bilingual author. He began writing in English, then switched to the French language when he went to live there. But he also translated his own work from French back into English. Keep in mind too that he was Irish.
English Works
1929. Dante…Bruno.Vico..Joyce (C); Assumption (F); Che sciagura (F?)
1930. ‘For future reference’; ‘Whoroscope’; ‘From the only poet to a shining whore, for Henry Crowder to sing’ (P)
1931. The possessed (D?); Proust (C); ‘Hell crane to starling’; ‘Alba’; ‘Casket of pralinen for a daughter of a dissipated mandarin’; ‘Text’; ‘Yoke of liberty’; ‘Return to the vestry’ (P)
1932. Sedendo et quiescendo; ‘Text’ (F); ‘Home olga’ (P); ‘Dante and the lobster’ (F)
1934. More pricks than kicks (F); ‘Poems, by R. M. Rilke, Thomas Mc Greevy’; ‘Ex cathezra’; ‘Papini’s Dante’; ‘The essential and the incidential’ (C); ‘Gnome’ (P); ‘A case in a thousand’ (F)
The Complete Critical Guide to Samuel Beckett is a good introduction to the man and the writer. Includes a potted biography of Beckett, an outline of the stories, novels, plays, and poetry, and pointers towards the main critical writings – from the 1960s to critics of the present day. Also includes a thorough bibliography which covers biography, criticism in books and articles, plus pointers towards specialist journals. These guides are very popular. Strongly recommended. Full review HERE
1935. ‘Echo’s bones and other precipitates’ (P)
1936. ‘An imaginitive work!’ (C); ‘Cascando’ (P)
1938. – Murphy (F); ‘Ooftish’ (P); ‘Denis Devlin’ (C)
1945. ‘McGreevy on Yeats’ (C)
1946. ‘Saint-Lo’ (P)
1949. Three dialogues (C)
1953. Watt (F, 1942-1944)
1956. ‘From an abandoned work’ (F)
1957. All that fall (D)
1958. ‘Fourteen letters on Endgame’ (X); Krapp’s last tape (D)
1959. Embers (D)
1961. Happy Days (D)
1962. Words and music (D)
1963. Play (D)
1965. Film
1966. Come and Go; Eh Joe (D)
French Works
1945. ‘La peinture des van Velde, ou le monde et le pantalon’ (C)
1946. ‘Suite’; ‘L’expulse’ (F); Poemes 38-39
1948. ‘Trois poemes’; ‘Peintres de l’empechement’ (C)
1951. Molloy; Malone meurt (F, c.1949)
1952. ‘Henri Hayden, homme-peintre’ (C); En attendant Godot (D, c.1949)
1953. L’innommable (F, c.1949)
1954. ‘Hommage a Jack B. Yeats’ (C)
1955. ‘Trois poemes’; Nouvelles et Textes pour rien (F, 1945, 1950)
1957. Fin de partie; Acte sans paroles I (D)
1961. Comment c’est (F)
1963. Cascando; Acte sans paroles II (D, latter c.1956)
1965. Imagination morte imaginez (F)
1966. Assez; Bing (F)
Samuel Beckett: an illustrated life gives a short account of Beckett’s little-known private life in a book which is packed with rare photographs and shots of his stage productions. The life is quite surprising: a priviledged upbringing, with talented academic prospects which he abandonded for a bohemian life. Fighting with the Maquis during the war. Little artistic success, but lots of relationships with women – and then the big breakthrough with Waiting for Godot. This is a stunning little book. Full review HERE
Translations and Miscellaneous
1930. Texts and poems translated from the Italian
1931. ‘Anna Livia Plurabelle’ (T)
1932. ‘Poetry is vertical’ (X); Translations from Breton, Crevel, and Eluard
1934. ‘Negro’ (T)
1937. Contributions to a symposium on the Spanish Civil War (X)
1938-1939. Translations of art texts
1948-1950. Translations for post-war Transition
1958. Anthology of Mexican poetry (T, 1951)
1960. The old tune (T)
1963. Second testament (T)
Principal and Unpublished Works
1928. Research essay on Unanimistes
1931. Le kid (D)
1932. ‘Le bateau ivre’ (T); ‘Dream of fair to middling women’ (F)
1945. ‘Premier amour’; ‘Mercier et Camier’; ‘Les bosquets de Bondy’ (F)
1947. Eleutheria (D)
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