50 Books (1): Murphy // Samuel Beckett

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This review of Murphy by Samuel Beckett is the inaugural instalment of a new fortnightly series called 50 Books. The series shall shine a spotlight on classical literature from throughout history and all over the world, with the hope that you, dear reader, may be inspired to explore the canon. If you have suggestions for future instalments comment and let me know. Without further ado, Murphy.

“The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new.”

Perhaps Ireland’s third most significant writer of prose after Wilde and Joyce, the Nobel Laureate Samuel Beckett is a titan of 20th century literature. His debut novel, Murphy (published in 1938) is a masterclass in avant-garde literature whilst at the same time remaining relatively accessible and non-experimental (attributes that are less applicable to his later postmodernist works).

Beckett, beyond his work as a novelist, was an accomplished literary critic, dramatist, and poet; he is in fact, perhaps best known for his 1952 play Waiting for Godot. It is not surprising therefore that at times throughout the novel, his prose (particularly during spoken sections) breaks close to, or completely into, verse.

The novel follows the eponymous Murphy, a “seedy solipsist” work-shy Dubliner, adrift in South West London. The novel is nihilistic, a true tragicomedy, melancholic throughout but at times incredibly witty. It is concerned with themes of isolation, boredom, total apathy, and misunderstanding.

Murphy takes place across London, beginning in West Brompton, with the protagonist in an unusual and ultimately dangerous state of meditation, by his own hands tied naked to a teak rocking chair, alone in the dark of his condemned apartment. Murphy does this with some regularity for psychological pleasure and in an attempt to free his mind, to enter a state of blissful nothingness, or as put by Beckett, to attain “that self-immersed indifference to the contingencies of the contingent world which he had chosen for himself as the only felicity and achieved so seldom.”

As the novel progresses, we are introduced to a cast of equally eccentric characters in Murphy’s social circle, from his heart stopping Corkonian mentor Mr Neary to his lovestruck reluctant prostitute fiancé Celia Kelly, who repeatedly nurtures Murphy and attempts to encourage him to find work. Although these characters are for the most part rather two-dimensional, it appears to be an intentional choice by Beckett and does not diminish the quality of the novel in any way.

The highlight of the book is Murphy himself. He is a bit of an enigma; people are drawn to him, but no one ever truly understands him or why he refuses to engage with the world around him. He presents as a languorous and apathetic intellectual (albeit one who refuses to read), not concerned with wealth, success, or even his own wellbeing. His comical indifference towards success can be seen on clear display through the text, even in his chess.

If you’re familiar with and enjoy modernist literature, particularly the more complex verbose offerings from the movement such as Hunger by Knut Hamsun, The Counterfeiters by André Gide, and anything by Joyce, you will appreciate the genius on display in Murphy. It is a challenging read for those unfamiliar with the movement, and newcomers may feel discouraged by the complexity of its prose, themes, and wordplay; however, it really is a great read. Beckett’s grim, absurdist and humorous look at the banality of everyday life, combined with his eloquent and exquisite wordplay makes Murphy a modern classic not to be missed by any literature lover.

“All out”

Next time: Portugal’s national epic, Os Lusíadas by Luís de Camões.

Words by Luke Horwitz

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