Look Inside

All Life Long The Same Questions The Same Answers (Reinterpreting Samuel Beckett)

$32
FREE Delivery
Quantity
Delivery Ships in 1-3 days
Item Code: NAZ658
Publisher: Manohar Publishers And Distributors
Author: Chaman Ahuja
Language: English
Edition: 1996
ISBN: 8173041636
Pages: 232
Cover: HARDCOVER
Other Details 8.50 X 5.50 inch
Weight 390 gm
Fully insured
Fully insured
Shipped to 153 countries
Shipped to 153 countries
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
100% Made in India
100% Made in India
23 years in business
23 years in business
Book Description
Preface

Even though I cannot believe it myself, this book has been on the anvil for almost two decades-of course, with long and frequent breaks when I would get involved in other projects.

I made my acquaintance with Samuel Beckett sometime in the mid.-sixties when it was fashionable in India to talk about the Theatre of the Absurd without having seen any Absurdist play, of course. Frankly, did not understand Waiting for Godot when I read it for the first time not even with the help of whatever little criticism I could lay my hands upon. The award of the Nobel Prize to Beckett in 1969 not only increased my curiosity but also my bafflement because the spate of interpretations was too varied to reconcile. The turning point came in the early seventies when I chanced to discover a whole set of Beckett's major plays in the personal library of a friend. It took me quite a few readings to disorient my tradition-bound imagination. And, then, one fine morning I got seized by a hunch that has been my obsession these twenty years.

As this study was started soon after my doctoral program, it had originally the format of a dissertation. During the long spell that the project remained shelved, that kind of scholarship lost its glamour for me; what is more, I have learned the hard way the virtue of readability. Consequently, I had to take extra pains to minimize quotations and the concomitant documentation. Since the idea is not to deny credit where it is due, I wish to express my indebtedness to all critics mentioned in the 'Bibliography' for their contribution to the making of this book. In this connection, it is necessary to mention the fact that one's benefit from critics' opinions is not always direct. Invariably, these stimulate one's thinking and thus help form such arguments as are quite unrelated to the originating ideas. Such a 'creative' use of secondary sources, I believe, is more valuable than a mechanical incorporation of others' views, howsoever well-documented. Notwithstanding all this, I should wish to offer my apologies as well as thanks for any such 'borrowings', direct or indirect, conscious or unconscious, as a traditional critic would normally document.

While acknowledging my indebtedness, I must place on record my gratitude to the Panjab University, Chandigarh, not only for the study eave that enabled me to complete this project but also for the travel grant which facilitated my visit to Britain in the summer of 1990. In that connection, thanks are due also to the British Council for subsidizing my visit through a grant from Charles Wallace India Trust. During the visit, I tapped the resources of a number of libraries at Oxford., Cambridge and London, but I feel most obliged to the Beckett Archives at the University of Reading for the rare material that I could not have possibly consulted anywhere else. With gratitude, I recall my visits to the BBC and the London University Audio-Visual Centre where I could hear or see dozens of Beckett's plays on audio and video cassettes in the exclusive sessions arranged for me. The visit to the UK afforded me also the chance to discuss my approach with a number of Beckett scholars. Indeed, I shall never be able to forget the spontaneous help and advice rendered by Prof. James Knowlson, Prof. Ruby Cohn, Prof. Katherine Worth, Dr. John Pilling, and Mary Bryden. was, indeed, overwhelmed when John Calder did me the honor of going through my typescript and offering his opinion. My thanks to all of them! In India, too, I had the privilege of benefiting from the resources of dozens of libraries in Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh, but I owe a special word of thanks to L S Ramaiah, Librarian, Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages, Hyderabad. Thanks to his invaluable system of updating the collections his library, I never had any problem regarding the availability of the latest published Beckett material.

**Contents and Sample Pages**









Frequently Asked Questions
  • Q. What locations do you deliver to ?
    A. Exotic India delivers orders to all countries having diplomatic relations with India.
  • Q. Do you offer free shipping ?
    A. Exotic India offers free shipping on all orders of value of $30 USD or more.
  • Q. Can I return the book?
    A. All returns must be postmarked within seven (7) days of the delivery date. All returned items must be in new and unused condition, with all original tags and labels attached. To know more please view our return policy
  • Q. Do you offer express shipping ?
    A. Yes, we do have a chargeable express shipping facility available. You can select express shipping while checking out on the website.
  • Q. I accidentally entered wrong delivery address, can I change the address ?
    A. Delivery addresses can only be changed only incase the order has not been shipped yet. Incase of an address change, you can reach us at help@exoticindia.com
  • Q. How do I track my order ?
    A. You can track your orders simply entering your order number through here or through your past orders if you are signed in on the website.
  • Q. How can I cancel an order ?
    A. An order can only be cancelled if it has not been shipped. To cancel an order, kindly reach out to us through help@exoticindia.com.
Add a review
Have A Question

For privacy concerns, please view our Privacy Policy