politics
‘Their Strength Through Joy conversation is killing me’: Samuel Beckett’s German diaries
Published for the first time this month, the Irish writer’s record of his months in pre-war Germany is a fascinating insight into his understanding of, and unease with, Nazism
TL;DR
- Samuel Beckett's German diaries from 1936-1937, published for the first time, show his detailed observation of Nazism.
- The diaries challenge the view of Beckett as a poet uninterested in real-life politics, revealing his close study of National Socialist resentment.
- Beckett noted changes in fashion, collected Nazi "holy phrases," and privately expressed disgust with the movement.
- The notebooks were compiled during a six-month journey across Germany, motivated by art and language improvement.
- Beckett's personal struggles, including grief and writer's block, are interwoven with his observations of the darkening political situation.
- Co-editor Mark Nixon states the diaries show Beckett's rebellion against Nazi discourse and his journey to becoming the writer he is known as.
- The diaries were not meant for publication and offer a personal witness statement, including some unsavoury remarks.
- Beckett's experience in Nazi Germany likely influenced his subsequent move to France and involvement in the French resistance.