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Samuel Beckett

Samuel Beckett Quotes

Novelist

Samuel Beckett was an Irish novelist, playwright, and poet, widely regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. His works are characterized by their minimalist style, existential themes, and use of language. His most famous works include 'Waiting for Godot' and 'Molloy'. Beckett was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1969.

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All Godot Knows Waiting For Godot Ifs Love Beckett Ends Thinking Art Littles Silence Life Goes On Time Waiting Writing Death Men Mind Samuel Beckett

Famous Samuel Beckett Quotes

“The fact is, it seems, that the most you can hope is to be a little less, in the end, the creature you were in the beginning, and the middle.”

Littles Ends Facts Seems Middle Creatures

Book:I Can't Go On, I'll Go On: A Samuel Beckett Reader

Source: I Can't Go On, I'll Go On: A Samuel Beckett Reader

“Hardly had the glow been kindled by some good deed on your part or by some little triumph over your rivals or by a word of praisefrom your parents or mentors when it would begin to cool and fade leaving you in a very short time as chill and dim as before.”

Littles Parent Achievement Praise Leaving Deeds Triumph Over You Fades Mentor Good Deeds Chill Rivals Short Time

Book:Company / Ill Seen Ill Said / Worstward Ho / Stirrings Still

Source: Company / Ill Seen Ill Said / Worstward Ho / Stirrings Still

“Love, that is all I asked, a little love, daily, twice daily, fifty years of twice daily love like a Paris horse-butcher's regular, what normal woman wants affection?”

Want Love Years Littles Normal Horse Affection Paris Fifty Women Want Butchers Little Love

Book:All That Fall and Other Plays for Radio and Screen

Source: All That Fall and Other Plays for Radio and Screen

“I speak for an art ... weary of its puny exploits, weary of pretending to be able, of being able, of doing a little better the same old thing, of going a little further along a dreary road.”

Littles Art Able Speak Pretending Weary Exploits Dreary Old Things Same Old Thing

Author:Samuel Beckett

“I had little talent for happiness.”

Book:I Can't Go On, I'll Go On: A Samuel Beckett Reader

Source: I Can't Go On, I'll Go On: A Samuel Beckett Reader

“All I know is what the words know, and dead things, and that makes a handsome little sum, with a beginning and a middle and an end, as in the well-built phrase and the long sonata of the dead.”

Knows Wells Littles Long Ends Beauty Middle Built Phrases Handsome Beckett Sonatas

Book:Molloy

Source: Molloy

“It is right that he too should have his little chronicle, his memories, his reason, and be able to recognize the good in the bad, the bad in the worst, and so grow gently old down all the unchanging days, and die one day like any other day, only shorter.”

Should Littles Reason Able Dies Grows Memories Worst One Day Should Have Good Memories Unchanging Chronicles

Book:Molloy

Source: Molloy

“There is this to be said for Dachsunds of such length and lowness as Nelly, that it makes very little difference to their appearance whether they stand, sit or lie.”

Littles Said Lying Differences Appearance Length

Author:Samuel Beckett

“Memories are killing. So you must not think of certain things, of those that are dear to you, or rather you must think of them, for if you don’t there is the danger of finding them, in your mind, little by little.”

Ifs Thinking Mind Littles Certain Memories Danger Findings Killing Dear

Book:The Complete Short Prose, 1929-1989

Source: The Complete Short Prose, 1929-1989

“And truly it little matters what I say, this or that or any other thing. Saying is inventing. Wrong, very rightly wrong. You invent nothing, you think you are inventing, you think you are escaping, and all you do is stammer out your lesson, the remnants of a pensum one day got by heart and long forgotten, life without tears, as it is wept.”

Thinking Heart Littles Long Matter Tears Lessons One Day Forgotten Inventing Escaping Remnants

Book:Molloy

Source: Molloy

“I open the door of the cell and go. I am so bowed I only see my feet, if I open my eyes, and between my legs a little trail of black dust. I say to myself that the earth is extinguished, though I never saw it lit.”

Ifs Littles Eye Earth Black Saws Doors Feet Legs Dust Cells Lit Trails

Book:The Complete Dramatic Works of Samuel Beckett

Source: The Complete Dramatic Works of Samuel Beckett

“How can one better magnify the Almighty than by sniggering with him at his little jokes, particularly the poorer ones?”

Littles God Atheism Jokes Humorous Positive Atheism Almighty

Book:The Complete Dramatic Works of Samuel Beckett

Source: The Complete Dramatic Works of Samuel Beckett

“Finished, it's finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished. Grain upon grain, one by one, and one day, suddenly, there's a heap, a little heap, the impossible heap. I can't be punished any more. I'll go now to my kitchen, ten feet by ten feet by ten feet, and wait for him to whistle me. Nice dimensions, nice proportions, I'll lean on the table, and look at the wall, and wait for him to whistle me.”

Looks Littles I Can Waiting Nice Impossible Feet Wall One Day Ten Tables Finished Kitchen Proportion Dimensions Grain Wait For Him

Book:Endgame and Act Without Words

Source: Endgame and Act Without Words

“For in me there have always been two fools, among others, one asking nothing better than to stay where he is and the other imagining that life might be slightly less horrible a little further on.”

Littles Two Might Fool Asking Horrible

Book:I Can't Go On, I'll Go On: A Samuel Beckett Reader

Source: I Can't Go On, I'll Go On: A Samuel Beckett Reader

“To every man his little cross. Till he dies. And is forgotten.”

Men Littles Dies Crosses Forgotten Every Man Godot Waiting For Godot

Author:Samuel Beckett

“And what I have, what I am, is enough, was always enough for me, and as far as my dear little sweet little future is concerned I have no qualms, I have a good time coming.”

Littles Enough Sweet Concerned Dear Good Times Having A Good Time Qualms Qualms About

Book:I Can't Go On, I'll Go On: A Samuel Beckett Reader

Source: I Can't Go On, I'll Go On: A Samuel Beckett Reader

“I know those little phrases that seem so innocuous, and, once you let them in, pollute the whole of speech. 'Nothing is more real than nothing.' They rise up out of the pit and know no rest until they drag you down into its dark.”

Knows Littles Real Whole Seems Dark Speech Phrases Drag Pits

Book:Three Novels: Molloy. Malone Dies. The Unnamable. [Translated from the French].

Source: Three Novels: Molloy. Malone Dies. The Unnamable. [Translated from the French].

About the Author

Born: April 13, 1906
Died: December 22, 1989
Known for: Novelist
Quotes: 457

Related Topics

Godot Knows Waiting For Godot Ifs Love Beckett Ends Thinking Art Littles Silence Life Goes On Time Waiting Writing Death Men Mind Samuel Beckett

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

MolloyRelated source material

I Can't Go On, I'll Go On: A Samuel Beckett ReaderRelated source material

Three Novels: Molloy, Malone Dies, The UnnamableRelated source material

Waiting for GodotRelated source material

The Complete Dramatic Works of Samuel BeckettRelated source material

The UnnamableRelated source material

The Complete Short Prose, 1929-1989Related source material

WattRelated source material

MurphyRelated source material

Disjecta: miscellaneous writings and a dramatic fragmentRelated source material

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