Towards Nothingness: Self-Exploration and Formal Experimentation in Beckett's Novels

Author: Wang Yaha
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: In this book, the author uses a comparative approach to interpret the inherent coherence and intertextuality in Beckett's five major novels written between 1935 and 1950. She argues that the dynamic process of Beckett's novel writing is, in fact, a journey of self-exploration and continuous experimentation with novelistic forms. This is also the first time a Chinese scholar has explicitly put forward their own views on Beckett's novelistic art. As a doctoral student, Wang Yaha bravely chose Beckett's novels as her research topic and has continued to study the subject without interruption after graduation. Her courage and persistent spirit of inquiry are truly admirable. It is hoped that the publication of this monograph will promote research on Beckett's novel writing within the domestic academic community and fill the void in Chinese criticism in this field.
The book aims to systematically compare and interpret Beckett's five significant novels written between 1935 and 1950—Murphy, Watt, Molloy, Malone Dies, and The Unnamable—to elucidate the inherent coherence, intertextuality, and layered thematic development, as well as the continuous deconstruction and reconstruction of form in his novels. This approach provides a comprehensive and detailed display of the dynamic process of Beckett's novel writing, which is a journey of self-exploration and formal experimentation, and reveals the postmodern aesthetic characteristics of his novelistic art.
The book is divided into an introduction, five chapters, and a conclusion.
In this book, the author uses a comparative approach to interpret the inherent coherence and intertextuality in Beckett's five major novels written between 1935 and 1950. She argues that the dynamic process of Beckett's novel writing is, in fact, a journey of self-exploration and continuous experimentation with novelistic forms. This is also the first time a Chinese scholar has explicitly put forward their own views on Beckett's novelistic art. As a doctoral student, Wang Yaha bravely chose Beckett's novels as her research topic and has continued to study the subject without interruption after graduation. Her courage and persistent spirit of inquiry are truly admirable. It is hoped that the publication of this monograph will promote research on Beckett's novel writing within the domestic academic community and fill the void in Chinese criticism in this field.