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mbomersheim's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I literally could not wait for this work to be over.
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett is a play where not much happens, and it is infuriating. I hated this work, and the time it took me to read it is time I will never get back. The entire dialogue is very stream of consciousness, making the conversations disjointed and hard to follow. It gives Gertrude Stein vibes, which I’m not a fan of. I’m not going to even bother with writing a spoiler-free review because I just have a lot to say, and I don’t want to take the mental energy to decide what is a spoiler.
Spoilers ahead, tread with caution:
This play has a total of 5 characters: Estragon (a man who’s been suicidal for the past 50 years — casually mentioned), Lucky (a slave?), Pozzo (his owner?), an unnamed boy who works for Godot, and Vladimir (the seemingly only sane man in this show). The entire plot takes place in an unnamed location with a tree as Estragon and Vladimir wait for Godot to arrive for two days. In the play's opening, it is unclear how many days they have been waiting for him to arrive. They discuss hanging themselves at the tree but ultimately decide that they don’t have adequate rope and the branches might not be thick enough to hold their weight. That’s kind of just glanced over in the story, but like what the heck. Things just get funkier when Pozzo comes onstage with Lucky carrying all of Pozzi’s things while having a rope wrapped around his neck, and nobody really discusses how messed up that is. The language directed towards Lucky is extremely dehumanizing and problematic and the largest reaction we get from the characters is them acting curious and stating that it is a “scandal”.
Act 2 is almost a repeat of Act 1 taking place the next day with minor variations on the theme. Vladimir is the only one who seems to remember the previous day. If it was a different medium, I would just say that Vladimir is an unreliable narrator, but since it is a play and there is an audience witnessing this whole thing, so theoretically you’d know if it was really all real. Things just get a bit convoluted. Anyway, this time Pozzo is blind, Lucky is dumb and on the verge of death, and once again, Godot does not show at the end (shocker I know).
Also, there are a good number of biblical references throughout this play. From my reading, I think the unseen Godot is supposed to be a representation of God because nobody knows what he looks like and he never shows up. The characters talk about how Godot has the ability to punish them if they leave. Essentially their waiting is futile, but Vladimir, Estragon, and to some degree, Pozzo feel drawn to the spot and have difficulty leaving. This whole thing made me think, "What is the point?" I think it’s ironic that I read this during Lent.
TLDR: I never want to experience this again, and I would not recommend picking this up unless you enjoy causing yourself pain.
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett is a play where not much happens, and it is infuriating. I hated this work, and the time it took me to read it is time I will never get back. The entire dialogue is very stream of consciousness, making the conversations disjointed and hard to follow. It gives Gertrude Stein vibes, which I’m not a fan of. I’m not going to even bother with writing a spoiler-free review because I just have a lot to say, and I don’t want to take the mental energy to decide what is a spoiler.
Spoilers ahead, tread with caution:
Act 2 is almost a repeat of Act 1 taking place the next day with minor variations on the theme. Vladimir is the only one who seems to remember the previous day. If it was a different medium, I would just say that Vladimir is an unreliable narrator, but since it is a play and there is an audience witnessing this whole thing, so theoretically you’d know if it was really all real. Things just get a bit convoluted. Anyway, this time Pozzo is blind, Lucky is dumb and on the verge of death, and once again, Godot does not show at the end (shocker I know).
Also, there are a good number of biblical references throughout this play. From my reading, I think the unseen Godot is supposed to be a representation of God because nobody knows what he looks like and he never shows up. The characters talk about how Godot has the ability to punish them if they leave. Essentially their waiting is futile, but Vladimir, Estragon, and to some degree, Pozzo feel drawn to the spot and have difficulty leaving. This whole thing made me think, "What is the point?" I think it’s ironic that I read this during Lent.
TLDR: I never want to experience this again, and I would not recommend picking this up unless you enjoy causing yourself pain.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing
ishouldbereading's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Cursing
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