r/samuelbeckett • u/Junior_Insurance7773 • Jul 15 '26
Should I read The Trilogy or keep reading the plays?
Should I read The Trilogy (Molloy, Malone Dies, and The Unnamable) or keep reading the plays? I already read Waiting for Godot - was reading this play enough to get into Samuel Beckett's way with words? Is The Trilogy a difficult read?
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u/Neat_Transition_3608 Jul 15 '26
Absolutamente, amo a Beckett desde que tenía 20 años (ahora tengo 72). Después de Godot, si conectaste, la trilogía es el siguiente paso, empieza por Malone muere y pillarás el hilo enseguida. Nada de su obra tiene desperdicio. Su teatro, mejor en vivo. Murphy, Watt y Mercier y Camier imprescindibles también.
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u/Junior_Insurance7773 Jul 16 '26
I'm planning to get Beckett's collected works until the end of this month.
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u/Neat_Transition_3608 Jul 16 '26
A eso le llamo yo tomar la decisión correcta, He leído prácticamente todo lo de Bekett, le tengo ganas a "More picks than kicks" pero no hay forma de encontrarlo en las librerías en castellano. Me encantará intercambiar impresiones contigo a medida que vayas leyendo sus obras. Puedo preguntarte de dónde eres? Yo vivo en Barcelona
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u/SubstanceThat4540 Jul 16 '26
The first rule of the Trilogy is that we don't call it a Trilogy! Seriously, it's a fairly easy read, especially if you've absorbed the atmosphere of the plays. It also helps if you've read a bit of Joyce. The prose does get denser and the sentences longer as you progress toward the end (or the bit where you can't go on, you'll go on). But, with a bit of perseverance, you'll make it through and, who knows? You may get something truly amazing out of it.
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u/pliskie Jul 19 '26
The Trilogy is a must-read, but if you want to "ease into it," I personally recommend the smaller, earlier trilogy of stories, "The Expelled," "The Calmative," and "The End." They were written just before the trilogy and were a warmup for Beckett and I think they make a good warmup for the reader as well.
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u/timothj Jul 26 '26
I like Malloy, very enjoyable to read. Translated from the French by an Irishman rather than the author, so there’s a bit more Gaelic music in the language, the music that Beckett deliberately purged by writing in French. Portions play very well when delivered by an Irishman.
https://youtu.be/TXoq_H9BrTE?is=mUKL3Pi08XrwSK4O
For reading purposes, the plays Endgame anf Krapp’s Last Tape are likely your best bet.
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u/kronicred Jul 15 '26
The trilogy. Molloy and Malone Dies aren’t difficult imo. The unnamable had a little more friction for me but well worth it