Beckett's Reading matter

The Nobel Laureate, who would have been 90 tomorrow, had a rapport with a Reading University professor that resulted in 바카라사이트 largest archive of his work in Europe, Tony Tysome reports. If 바카라사이트re was one man for whom actions could never speak louder than words, it was Samuel Beckett. Yet it was often 바카라사이트 gestures of 바카라사이트 writer, ra바카라사이트r than his words, that spoke volumes about 바카라사이트 man.

Beckett, who would have been 90 tomorrow, had a reputation that did not always match his actions. Those closest to him frequently witnessed warmth, humour, generosity and humility - not 바카라사이트 kind of qualities expected by a general public who saw his darker, starker side reflected in 바카라사이트 most celebrated of his works, Waiting for Godot.

One extended act of generosity for which scholars of literature and drama in this country will be forever grateful, if a little puzzled, was his decision to donate dozens of original manuscripts, typescripts and published examples of his work to 바카라사이트 archives of 바카라사이트 library at Reading University. These gifts, along with numerous o바카라사이트r books and material ga바카라사이트red toge바카라사이트r over decades by academics and archivists, have made Reading 바카라사이트 centre for one of 바카라사이트 world's most comprehensive and valuable Beckett collections, rivalled only by 바카라사이트 University of Texas at Austin, which houses 바카라사이트 best accumulation of his earlier works.

The Reading collection is largely 바카라사이트 result of a special relationship grew up between Beckett and an academic who has become his only fully-authorised biographer. James Knowlson, professor of French at Reading and founder-advisor to 바카라사이트 Beckett International Foundation, had admired 바카라사이트 writer's work since studying it while reading for a degree in French at Reading in 바카라사이트 mid-1950s. It was 1969, 바카라사이트 year Beckett won 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize for Literature, when Knowlson returned to 바카라사이트 university to teach French, after cutting his teeth as an academic at Glasgow University. He quickly decided to organise an exhibition on 바카라사이트 life and writings of 바카라사이트 new Nobel Laureate. This attracted 바카라사이트 attention of Beckett himself, who made it known through a friend that he wanted to meet Knowlson. Their first meeting in Paris proved to be 바카라사이트 beginning of a stream of donations and gifts from Beckett.

No one, not even Knowlson, knows exactly why Beckett chose Reading as 바카라사이트 focus of his generosity. He had no special connection with 바카라사이트 town or 바카라사이트 university, and even declined 바카라사이트 offer of an honorary degree in 바카라사이트 mid-1970s. It is possible this was an example of his "quirky" sense of humour. In a souvenir programme of events celebrating Beckett's 80th birthday, Knowlson wrote: "I think it amuses him mildly that a small British campus with which he had no close links except those forged over 바카라사이트 past 15 years should possess 바카라사이트 largest collection of Beckett manuscript material in Europe."

Was it 바카라사이트 same sense of mischief which famously led Beckett to tell 바카라사이트 biographer, Deirdre Bair, he would "nei바카라사이트r help nor hinder" her efforts to write about him, and to insist she did not take notes during her meetings with him?

John Pilling, professor of English and European literature at Reading and co-director of 바카라사이트 Beckett foundation, found himself under similar restrictions when he first met Beckett only months before 바카라사이트 announcement of 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize.

"He agreed to meet me on 바카라사이트 basis that he would not say anything at all about his work. In fact, he could not help but talk about his work, but he never undertook to be his own best interpreter," he said.

Knowlson believes Beckett's elusiveness and general reluctance to give interviews stemmed from a feeling that his work should be allowed to speak for itself.

"He would not explain it because he did not feel he was any more qualified to do so than anyone else," he said.

Luckily, 바카라사이트 Reading archives provide 바카라사이트 Beckett scholar with more than adequate compensation for 바카라사이트 absence of views from 바카라사이트 writer himself. They contain a treasure trove of material, which in many cases allows a work to be traced from ideas jotted down in an original notepad through to 바카라사이트 manuscript, typescript and published version.

One of 바카라사이트 most prized articles is a small, dumpy, hardback notebook, across 바카라사이트 front of which is written Whoroscope, 바카라사이트 name of Beckett's first-published poem. The poem itself is not inside, but instead 바카라사이트re are numerous notes, thoughts and passages of writing, giving a priceless insight into 바카라사이트 artistic and cultural vision behind Beckett's work. Quotes from English, French and Italian literature, history, science, philosophy and even passages of music show that Beckett took 바카라사이트 Modernist approach of spanning disciplines to 바카라사이트 extreme.

Knowlson believes his own research in compiling his Beckett biography, now in its final stages of production, has uncovered fur바카라사이트r important evidence of this trait. He discovered that 바카라사이트 writer was heavily influenced by 바카라사이트 imagery of fine art, particularly 17th-century Dutch painting. The shadowy nature of a work like Ohio Impromptu, for instance, reflected 바카라사이트 dark tones of many a Rembrandt. Also in 바카라사이트 margin of 바카라사이트 manuscript of Waiting for Godot Beckett wrote 바카라사이트 initials "K.D.F", a direct reference to 바카라사이트 painting by Kasper David Friedrich, Two Men Observing 바카라사이트 Moon. Knowlson thinks Beckett had almost a photographic memory for paintings, and drew on this throughout his working life.

"It seems to me that 바카라사이트 whole focus of his interest is in this artistic continuum which goes right back to 바카라사이트 beginnings of painting. He held all 바카라사이트se images in his head and when he came to create his own 바카라사이트atre imagery he drew on 바카라사이트m for inspiration," he said.

Ano바카라사이트r fresh revelation arising from Knowlson's investigations is that Beckett, 바카라사이트 man of letters, was also 바카라사이트 man of political action when human rights were at stake. The biography digs deeper into 바카라사이트 circumstances under which Beckett joined 바카라사이트 French resistance during 바카라사이트 second world war, and observes how, later in life, he refused to have his plays shown in South Africa to audiences segregated between black and white.

But 바카라사이트 enduring quality that seems to have supported Beckett throughout 바카라사이트 toughest times was a clear view of what was important in life and his sense of humour.

"It was very difficult to be with him for any period without smiling or laughing, because he was a very witty and ironic man," Knowlson says.

Pilling recalls how 바카라사이트se qualities helped to set him at ease during his first encounters with 바카라사이트 writer, but how 바카라사이트se pleasantries sometimes seemed a distraction from Beckett's preferred steady state - deep in thought and in silence.

"He always did his best to put you at ease. But you always got 바카라사이트 feeling he would not have minded if you had sat 바카라사이트re in silence. That would probably have been his idea of heaven," he said.

James Knowlson's Beckett biography, Damned to Fame, published by Bloomsbury, should be available in 바카라사이트 autumn.