The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 7 September 2004
by Samuel Beckett
In 1931, only a few years after the last volume of Marcel Proust's massive In Search of Lost Time was published, Samuel Beckett, hyper-intellectual author of Murphy and Waiting for Godot, penned this extremely brief but intense critique of Proust's monumental work. At just 72 pages, Beckett manages to pack in quite a bit of analysis of Proust's views on Time, memory and habit. The book is not at all a complete overview of Proust, nor is it for the beginner. It helps to have read at least some of Proust's book, and even better to have liked it. Beckett picks apart Proust's style, and the overall themes of Time and remembrance that Proust exhibits. He gets a lot of it right, with deeply perceptive, if obscurely written, critique and analysis. The book is entirely too short to compress all the themes and images that Proust has at his disposal. But much more of Beckett's own style might be difficult to take. Anyway, for those looking for an interesting perspective, by an equally talented author, this little essay is intriguing. But, if you're looking for a jumping off point, or for biographical details, this wouldn't be the place to start. Beckett is famous for being obscure. He is direct here, and perceptive, but is equally dense.