Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Books read in 2018: No. 5 -- Waiting for Godot

by Samuel Beckett

Started: Jan. 22
Finished: Jan. 23

Notes: I do not often read plays, but I turn to this famous one because I do like to stray from my typical genre roots in order to experience other authors, styles, etc. Such readings can help one not only in thinking, but as a writer as well.

Mini review: This is one of those tales which brings to mind words like "expressionistic" and "minimalism" and "search for meaning." In other words, it's full of shit. Full of allegory and archetypes, this play has been interpreted in so many different ways, from religious to political to social commentary, etc., etc. None of which is necessarily true, or any or all of it could be true. One can't tell. One can take away whatever they want, but what I took away was, "nothing happens." That's it. An easy read with some minor humor, but I didn't come away with any epiphanies or thoughts of high meaning. If anything, I came away thinking, "This is the type of overly nonsensical material which sometimes gives literature a bad name." I'm not saying it's a bad play. I'm saying it wasn't for me and that interpretations are up to the individual. I will add, it would likely be more enjoyable to see this performed than to simply read it on the page.

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