April 8, 2008

Conversations of the Mind

Thought I'd share this with you:

One day you'll be blind like me. You'll be sitting here, a speck in the void, in the dark, forever, like me. One day you'll say to yourself, I'm tired, I'll sit down, and you'll go and sit down. Then you'll say, I'm hungry, I'll get up and get something to eat. But you won't get up. You'll say, I shouldn't have sat down, but since I have I'll sit on a little longer, then I'll get up and get something to eat. But you won't get up and you won't get anything to eat. You'll look at the wall a while, then you'll say, I'll close my eyes, perhaps have a little sleep, after that I'll feel better, and you'll close them. And when you open them again there'll be no wall any more. Infinite emptiness will be all around you, all the resurrected dead of all the ages wouldn't fill it, and there you'll be like a little bit of grit in the middle of the steppe.

*
Extract from Samuel Beckett's Endgame

10 comments:

Vipul Nanda said...

Very interesting extract. Love how it deals with inertia and changing perceptions.

five_silver_rings said...

I know :)
And a profound writer he is. You should read his plays, they'll give you a different perspective on life.. Really!

Unknown said...

I think I've read Samuel's plays. The excerpt above is excellent. Hope the studies are going on fine, Radzie?

kyamaloom said...

I'm not into theatres et al, but I got this one online, and fuck I'm yet to 'actually' read it.
These lines are by Hamm rite? I read some stuff about the play.

Michael Gambon (better known for playing Dumbeldore in Potter movies) played Hamm's role in it. And Samuel Beckett also wrote a movie called 'Film' in 1965. I found some great reviews for it too.

Nevertheless, good one!

Vipul Nanda said...

'Radzie'? *Chortles*

I've read Waiting for Godot - loved that one. But my reading in literature has been rather scattered - no structure. It's all about what came to hand.

jairaj said...

sweet...sweet to read...

five_silver_rings said...

Onyeka: Ahem.. Studies? Erm.. blee.. cough...
Nevertheless, thanks for asking :)

Sutta: Did I tell you, you have an intriguing blogname? Really passionate about those ciggies, aren't we? ;)
Anyhow, you should read Beckett...even if you're not really into reading plays. Plays are usually easy, quick-to-read pieces--and plays written by Beckett characteristically detract from mainstream drama, and grapple with issues of life, which force us to critically *think* about our existence and the purpose of life.
Hmm.. sorry, suddenly realized I had already began a lecture here :S.. Well nevertheless, read them!

Arawn: If you return to Delhi this June, I shall push some books onto you.
P.S. Still trying hard to work for that booze!

Jerry: Sweet? Hmmm... A highly debatable perspective.

kyamaloom said...

You too smoke?
Jesus Christ! Atleast someone said this is a good name. :P
And even though it must have sounded like a lecture, yet you managed to give me enough dose to read it.

*Sigh* I'll read it. *Sigh Sigh* No, I'll "really" read it. Hmm.. hmm.. hmm!

Vipul Nanda said...

I bet you are working hard, Radzie. Looking forward to those books, too. Best of luck!

five_silver_rings said...

Sutta: Darling, I didn't say it's a good thing to smoke--I just called it 'intriguing' ;)
However, I'm not really a smoker... Have a good habit of getting addicted to things easily, so I stay away from ciggies.

And yes, DO read them! You don't want me coming after you with a sitck now, would you?

Arawn: Thanks for the motivation. My head's spinning as of now. Ah, how I miss my good ol' sleeping days!