Reading 1001 discussion

read 2011
Second novel of Samuel Beckett, it represents the author’s exercises in writing and a stage in the development of writing for Beckett. The story is of Watt, a man who is traveling towards a job as servant to Mr. Knott and then his employment as Mr. Knott’s servant and then his leaving employment. Watt is obsessed with exhaustive logic. Pages are dedicated to this obsession. Beckett uses multiple unreliable narrators in this story that really isn’t a story so much as an exercise. I’ve read Waiting for Godet which is a play by Beckett and this story Watt has a lot of the same characteristics of tragicomedy. It is a bleak picture of human nature. Watt is abused and abused by those around him; he never protests but picks himself up and continues on. Watt over analyzes and seems to characterize the anxiety that is part of the existential being. Beckett wrote Watt while in hiding during WWII which required that he move about. I pictured this while I read this book and thought some of the scenes might be things he was observing at the moment. When he described how Watt walked, I pictured the marching of Hitler’s soldiers. The disjointed tale may be more a product of filling time that an actual attempt to write a novel. The character Watt and the whole work seemed a bit schizophrenic to me.

Rating: 3.75 stars

Maybe I am growing accustomed to Beckett, seeing as he has so many books on the list. I actually find this one darkly amusing. Some of his wordplay and use of anagrams is reminiscent of children's books I read to my kids when they were little. There really isn't a plot here, and much of it is nonsensical and overanalyzed. So, not an easy read. It is definitley different. My favorite Beckett, so far.

I actually read this one for my "book you're dreading to read" bingo square this year. I've been avoiding him since reading the Molloy books back to back years ago. My main complaint with his work is it feels like it is being obtuse for the sake of it, and the way he employs language feels to be to show how clever he is instead of it really servicing a greater point.

But, I didn't hate it and gave it 3 stars. There were certainly places in the book I had the above complaint, and a lot of these involved repetition which admittedly is more annoying over audio (I would have just seen gone "ah gotcha" and moved on if reading). But, on the other hand, there were some wordplay instances and and parts that were set to music in the audiobook that I really enjoyed.

***

Watt goes to Mr. Knott to work as servant for a period of two years before leaving and being replaced by another predestined servant as part of a never-ending cycle of service. Not much happens or ends up being very clear; all possible explanations are often enumerated and permuted, but never being precisely confirmed. In a subtle way, the juxtaposed names of the two main poles of this novel gives you a clue about what is going on here: Watt-Knott -> Whatnot. So we have nondescript things and characters in this novel with no discernible plot apart from the partial exposition of the "servant cycle" happening at Mr. Knott's house. All the elements of the absurd are present here, with plenty of winks and nods to James Joyce throughout. Probably the best point of entry for Beckett's works; it will just drive you slightly mad.