Portrait of Beckett

Author: (British) Haines, Norris
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: For me, the further Beckett gets, the better. What philosophy, pamphlets, doctrines, beliefs, exits, truths, answers—I want none of it, nothing to haggle over. Beckett is the bravest and coldest author in history. The harder he rubs my nose in it, the more grateful I am to him. He doesn’t lead me down any garden path, he doesn’t give me the evil eye, he doesn’t pour down cures, paths forward, divine revelations, nor does he dangle breadcrumbs before me; he won’t sell me anything I don’t want to buy—whether I buy it or not, he won’t twist my arm—his hand never goes higher than his heart. But I’m happy to buy his wares: whether hooks, lines, or hammers, because he has turned over every stone, leaving not a single maggot behind. He has given birth to beautiful things. His work is so wonderful. —Harold Pinter (Harold Pinter, British playwright and director, winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Literature, close friend of Beckett) Samuel Beckett is unique. He gives voice to the elderly, the crippled, the inarticulate, and the desperate. He omits pretense and hypocrisy, never speaks of profound existentialism. It seems he wants to say that only there, then, in God’s poverty rather than abundance, when metabolism slows, can one reach the core of what it means to be human. But his musical rhythms, his precise and elegant phrasing, cannot but dispel the vast emptiness, like the mythical lizard that survives unscathed in fire. We survive in Beckett’s fire. —Richard Ellman (Richard Ellman, distinguished literary critic and biographer, renowned scholar of Irish literature) Beckett Portraiture consists of two parts: The first is a collection of numerous preserved and personal photos of Beckett, taken by the dedicated photographer of Beckett’s plays, John Haines. The second is three commemorative essays written by Beckett’s lifelong friend, James Norris, which not only outline Beckett’s modest, wise, and talented life but also explore his exceptional artistic discernment and its influence on stage image creation. Additionally, it includes a summary of Beckett’s creative thoughts and experiences in directing plays and television dramas. The book includes 75 photographs, some of which directly point to the essence of Beckett’s works. Norris’s article, while painting a vivid portrait of Beckett with his words, is also a personal record of his memories of Beckett. The second article discusses the influence of the paintings that Beckett loved and admired on his stage image creation. How did Beckett view his own works when he wrote and directed them himself? The third article provides detailed, handwritten materials. The text we see now was mostly written after conversations with Beckett or inspired by the rehearsal scene. These vivid writings offer a unique perspective on the world of the most influential, charming, and liberating playwrights after the liberation in the theater world. The book is richly illustrated and is a valuable collection for Beckett scholars and enthusiasts of theater and literature.