Samuel Beckett born on April 13th 1906, was a ‘Jack of all trades’. Being an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, theatre director, poet and literary translator he achieved such beauty and a timeless vision of human suffering, portrayed through the use of dark comedy and humour.
Writing in both French and English, after living most of his adult life in Paris ,which he said felt like “coming home” and studying French and Italian in Trinity College Dublin, Beckett is said to have been deeply shy and a sensitive man, and although witty and warm with close friends, he was extremely private and refused to be interviewed or have any part in promoting his books or plays.
In 1969 he won a Nobel Prize for Literature Citation.
On 22 December, 1989, at the age of 83 Samuel Beckett died of respiratory problems in Paris. He is buried at Montparnasse Cemetery.
To mark the colourful life of Samuel Beckett, Ireland’s Eye has compiled some of his most famous words.
“What do I know of man’s destiny? I could tell you more about radishes.”
“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.”
“No, I regret nothing, all I regret is having been born, dying is such a long tiresome business I always found.”
“We are all born mad. Some remain so.”
“Habit is a great deadener.”
“You’re on Earth. There’s no cure for that.”
“Nothing is funnier than unhappiness, I grant you that. Yes, yes, it’s the most comical thing in the world.”
“Birth was the death of him.”
“The only sin is the sin of being born”
“Words are all we have.”
