Samuel Beckett: Resistance, Cricket, and the Theatre of the Absurd

In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life of Samuel Beckett, the Irish novelist and playwright widely regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. We trace his journey from a cricket-playing youth in Dublin—becoming the only Nobel laureate to play first-class cricket—to his time in Paris as a confidant of James Joyce.

Discover how a near-fatal stabbing and his service in the French Resistance during World War II shaped his worldview, earning him the Croix de Guerre for what he humbly called "boy scout stuff". We discuss his artistic "revelation" in 1945, where he embraced ignorance and impotence as creative forces, moving away from Joycean knowledge to create his own stripped-down style.

We also delve into his masterpiece, Waiting for Godot, a play famously described by critic Vivian Mercier as one in which "nothing happens, twice," and examine his role as a key figure in the "Theatre of the Absurd". Finally, hear the surprising story of his friendship with a young André the Giant, with whom he bonded over a shared love of sports while driving him to school.