Samuel Beckett’s student library in Watt

Abstract

Samuel Beckett was not only a prolific writer but a prolific reader as well. An inquiry into the books that he read, whether missing or still preserved, could provide an immensely enriching perspective to his writing career and to the interpretation of his works. More specifically, the books Beckett was required to read as a student have a special significance, as they provide the basis of his literary education and formation as a writer. In this article I aim to discuss the connections between Beckett’s third novel, Watt, and his student library. The references in the novel that can be traced to the student library provide an adequate background to analyse the more general concept of erudition and the way Beckett relates to knowledge in his oeuvre.