A quite amazing work. Beckett summarises the 'plot' of A La Recherche and analyses the themes and main characters and developments in brilliant fashion. Possibly the ideal book to read before starting Proust.

Took a little break from reading Proust (and added to my reading of the complete works of Beckett in order) to peruse this longish essay by Mr. Becket on M. Proust. It's very off-putting at first with dear, very young Sammy getting all high and mighty with the erudite words to prove he's up to the task of taking on the French monolith's magnum opus. After 10 or so pages he calms down enough to get his point across without infuriating. Then there's a long middle section that's mostly a commentary--synopsis with proofs of his opening remarks emphasized--and then a pretty rousing conclusion re-iterating his interpretation of La Recherche as an obliteration of time through processes outside of voluntary memory in which art is accessory but not totally germinal. All-in-all well done. I agree with his reading in the main, although I might ascribe it to other reasons. But, shit--spoilers! (I'm only as far as The Captive so the end was indeed ruined for me. Sigh. Wait until you've finished La Recherche to read this one.

Sofrendo do mesmo mal que acometeu o trabalho de Deleuze sobre Proust, Em Busca do Tempo perdido é tão obra prima que qualquer coisa dita sobre ele se torna redundante.

This book came about from a commission, when Beckett was only 25 years old. It remains a formalist analysis of some scenes and a few blunt observations that show unfamiliarity with human empathy.

Beckett does not seem to have any motivation for writing this essay, nor does he seem to understand once he has started it where he wants to take it. It feels short.


I've written about this book when writing about "Molloy" in my Portuguese blog:
https://virtual-illusion.blogspot.com/2021/07/samuel-beckett-e-neurodiversidade.html

I ought to have read this in English. Apparently, Beckett translated all the Proust passages he tries to analyse understand himself (I don't think he likes the word 'analyse' or anything related to academic criticism, and for that I love him). i'd really like to have read his versions of Proust's words - he could have just taken passages from Scott Moncreiff's English translation of the first volume but he chose to render everything in English himself. And because he didn't use footnotes or page notes for the citations, every translation of Beckett's [b:Proust|3166516|Proust|Samuel Beckett|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|52695] involves translating Beckett's version of Proust's words into that language, even back into French, as in this version!

Un saggio meraviglioso. Leggere l'opera di un genio analizzata da un altro genio, è uno spettacolo di pura bellezza.

Many of the reviews for this title have mentioned that Beckett had dissociated, disavowed this long essay later in his career; I can't disagree with that assessment. It reads as portentous academic writing. But his concepts of time and of understanding what Proust intended in his imposing seven-book volume In Search of Lost Time.
I also thought this would be a good primer before attempting to read Proust's masterpiece, but it was more philosophic and metaphysical in nature.
Still worth the read to see where Beckett started and to see how his later impenetrable style emerged and evolved over the years.