Book/Play Review: Waiting for Godot

Author: Samuel Beckett
Title: Waiting for Godot
Genre: Play, Drama, Classic, Comedy
Pages: ebook
First Published: October 1949
Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

"The story line revolves around two seemingly homeless men waiting for someone or something named Godot. Vladimir and Estragon wait near a tree on a barren stretch of road, inhabiting a drama spun from their own consciousness. The result is a comical wordplay of poetry, dreamscapes, and nonsense, which has been interpreted as a somber summation of mankind's inexhaustible search for meaning. Beckett's language pioneered an expressionistic minimalism that captured the existentialism of post-World War II Europe. His play remains one of the most magical and beautiful allegories of our time."

First off...I read this for my Contemporary Literature class.

I will start out with a quote about what Boyfriend asked me if I liked it and I responded:

"This play was a play about nothing. Nothing happened, but it was pure genius." I then went on to explain to him what happened and my opinion about what this play is about. Which brings me to the genius of this novel....it has NO set in stone meaning.

Beckett has written this so one can think of a million different meanings, but no one will ever know the TRUE meaning. The author did this on purpose.  Beckett is a torturer, but he is pure genius. I couldn't help but want to continue to read and watch the play. Yes, my professor also highly suggested watching a version or two of the play. I watched a couple and I was alright with it. EVEN though I know NOTHING really happens. *SPOILER ALERT* Like the two men I have hope Godot will appear and arrive, but he never does. I know this after going through this story three times, but I continue to hope he will come. *SPOILER ENDED*
After thinking and after listening to lectures...I've rounded up my own theory about the meaning behind it...BE WARNED! This is just mine and it's different then from the majority of opinions and its based off the deconstruction theory and Derrida's theory:

"According to Derrida anything can mean anything. Symbols (which represent everything on the Earth) have no real connection to the things it's connected to. 'If anything means anything, then anything means nothing.' How does this involve humanity? To Derrida and it can be seen in Beckett's story, human's existence means nothing. The things we do really mean nothing, we entertain ourselves until we die. The nothingness can be symbolized in 'Waiting for Godot'. The two guys are hobos and do nothing all day. They are entertaining themselves and waiting on Godot. Could Godot be 'God'? Could Godot be 'Death'? Or could Godot be a figment of their lack of insanity (which can be proved)? Godot could be something or someone. Godot could be anything...so could he also be nothing? I feel that the meaning of the story revolves around the true and utter nothingness of human life. We do things and just entertain ourselves until we die. There is no REAL meaning to our lives."

Alright...I'm done...but I did like this play, but I would recommend everyone jump on this and read this? No, but it is an interesting experience to behold and I good thing to maybe glance at one day. Or just watch a version of the play. It maybe a play about nothing...like my professor says, "A play where nothing happens twice", but it is pretty good. I shall stamp this with 4 stars.

Favorite Character(s): Vladimir and Estragon
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Pozzo