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Beckett Quotes

The playwright who shaped modern dark comedy.

These Beckett quotes place him alongside Jackson Pollock, John Cage, and Joyce as an artist no one stays indifferent to, and describe 'Coraline' as feeling like Beckett written for kids.

All really great artists, Jackson Pollack, John Cage, Beckett or Joyce - you are never indifferent to them.

Quotes by Jonathan Safran Foer

Fairy tales, before they were sanitized, were very dark, and kids love that. 'Coraline' by Neil Gaiman feels like Beckett for kids. I think there's plenty of room for that. And I think there's a danger of being too patronizing...

Quotes by Edward Carey

My exposure to Beckett and to late O'Neill was probably important right at the time I gave up poetry and the novel.

Quotes by Edward Albee

Discovering Samuel Beckett in college was a big deal for me. I realized you could be very funny and very dark at the same time.

Quotes by Billy Collins

Cage Quotes

I've played Beckett. I put on in the 1950s the first Australian production of 'Waiting for Godot.' I played Estragon. The most interesting conversation I've had about Beckett was with a Dublin taxi driver.

Quotes by Barry Humphries

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Beckett compared to in these quotes?
Samuel Beckett is grouped with Jackson Pollock, John Cage, and Joyce as an artist no one stays indifferent to. The comparison places him among the most influential modern creative figures.
How does one writer connect Beckett to a children's book?
They describe Neil Gaiman's 'Coraline' as feeling like Beckett written for kids, pointing to its dark tone beneath a fairy-tale surface. It's used as shorthand for stories that stay unsettling despite a young audience.
What impact did discovering Beckett have on one writer's career?
It reportedly showed them that a story could be funny and dark at once, a realization made in college. That discovery is described as a genuinely big deal for their development.
Is Beckett linked to giving up other pursuits in any quote?
Yes, one person notes their exposure to Beckett and late O'Neill lined up with when they set aside poetry and the novel. It suggests his influence changed the direction of their creative work.
What overall impression of Beckett do these quotes give?
He comes across as a formative, slightly dangerous influence - someone whose work reshapes how people think about combining humor and darkness. Each quote treats encountering him as a turning point rather than casual reading.

Other quotes credit discovering Beckett in college with showing that a story can be very funny and very dark at once, and one writer traces giving up poetry to right around the time they found his work.