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Liked It “Perhaps my favourite Beckett novel (at least of the one's I've read).” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “Kristel said: 2 stars |
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“Kristel said: 2 stars
1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die Shelf wrote this review Tuesday, March 20, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Second novel of Samuel Beckett, it represents the author’s exercises in writing and a stage in the development of writing for Beckett. The story is of Watt, a man who is traveling towards a job as servant to Mr. Knott and then his employment as Mr. Knott’s servant and then his leaving employment. Watt is obsessed with exhaustive logic. Pages are dedicated to this obsession. Beckett uses multiple unreliable narrators in this story that really isn’t a story so much as an exercise. I’ve read Waiting for Godet which is a play by Beckett and this story Watt has a lot of the same characteristics of tragicomedy. It is a bleak picture of human nature. Watt is abused and abused by those around him; he never protests but picks himself up and continues on. Watt over analyzes and seems to characterize the anxiety that is part of the existential being. Beckett wrote Watt while in hiding during WWII which required that he move about. I pictured this while I read this book and thought some of the scenes might be things he was observing at the moment. When he described how Watt walked, I pictured the marching of Hitler’s soldiers. The disjointed tale may be more a product of filling time that an actual attempt to write a novel. The character Watt and the whole work seemed a bit schizophrenic to me.
Aga M. said: 2 stars
It was a real challenge for me to finish this book. I’ve read earlier that this work of Beckett could be seen as a writing exercise rather than a “normal” novel. I have to agree with that statement – it was really hard to follow the plot (almost not existing) and the number of repetitions in the text made it even harder.”
“Kristel said: 2 stars
Play Book Tag Shelf wrote this review Sunday, January 1, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Second novel of Samuel Beckett, it represents the author’s exercises in writing and a stage in the development of writing for Beckett. The story is of Watt, a man who is traveling towards a job as servant to Mr. Knott and then his employment as Mr. Knott’s servant and then his leaving employment. Watt is obsessed with exhaustive logic. Pages are dedicated to this obsession. Beckett uses multiple unreliable narrators in this story that really isn’t a story so much as an exercise. I’ve read Waiting for Godet which is a play by Beckett and this story Watt has a lot of the same characteristics of tragicomedy. It is a bleak picture of human nature. Watt is abused and abused by those around him; he never protests but picks himself up and continues on. Watt over analyzes and seems to characterize the anxiety that is part of the existential being. Beckett wrote Watt while in hiding during WWII which required that he move about. I pictured this while I read this book and thought some of the scenes might be things he was observing at the moment. When he described how Watt walked, I pictured the marching of Hitler’s soldiers. The disjointed tale may be more a product of filling time that an actual attempt to write a novel. The character Watt and the whole work seemed a bit schizophrenic to me.”
“Second novel of Samuel Beckett, it represents the author’s exercises in writing and a stage in the development of writing for Beckett. The story is of Watt, a man who is traveling towards a job as servant to Mr. Knott and then his employment as Mr. Knott’s servant and then his leaving employment. Watt is obsessed with exhaustive logic. Pages are dedicated to this obsession. Beckett uses multiple unreliable narrators in this story that really isn’t a story so much as an exercise. I’ve read Waiting for Godet which is a play by Beckett and this story Watt has a lot of the same characteristics of tragicomedy. It is a bleak picture of human nature. Watt is abused and abused by those around him; he never protests but picks himself up and continues on. Watt over analyzes and seems to characterize the anxiety that is part of the existential being. Beckett wrote Watt while in hiding during WWII which required that he move about. I pictured this while I read this book and thought some of the scenes might be things he was observing at the moment. When he described how Watt walked, I pictured the marching of Hitler’s soldiers. The disjointed tale may be more a product of filling time that an actual attempt to write a novel. The character Watt and the whole work seemed a bit schizophrenic to me.
Kristel wrote this review Friday, December 30, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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“Loved it, especially part III.”
roseofcaststeel wrote this review Sunday, June 13, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Perhaps my favourite Beckett novel (at least of the one's I've read). ”
Davy M wrote this review Monday, November 16, 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Pure masterpiece, insane, tragic, hilarious.”
Joe L wrote this review Wednesday, November 11, 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Watt almost has a plot but implodes on itself ”
Jane H wrote this review Friday, October 9, 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“genius, but difficult to read”
Rick R. wrote this review Wednesday, August 5, 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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