Beckett On A Budget

Note: This was supposed to go up on 26 February. I don’t know why it didn’t but here it is now. Since then, I’ve received a new copy of Essays, but it’s still slightly damaged, though I suppose it’s something I can live with, and I can’t bring myself to trouble them again. I’ve also received The City And The City.

Here is a randomly arranged list of books bought recently:

• Essays, by George Orwell

The book arrived on Wednesday. It’s the sumptuous Everyman’s edition. I ordered it from the Book Depository, but it arrived somewhat damaged, with a crumped and folded dust jacket. I contacted the representatives and they gave me a very prompt reply. And while I’m sure it wasn’t the simplest thing to arrange, they were certainly able to help. I’m definitely shopping there again.

• Endgame and Act Without Words, by Samuel Beckett

I bought this from the NUS Co-Op, which either sounds like special forces or a chicken habitat depending on how you read it. It was cheap because school prices can usually be a bit better if it’s being used as a textbook.

• More Pricks Than Kicks, by Samuel Beckett

Again I got this from the NUS Co-Op, at half off, in fact. They’re having some kind of clearance sale now. Who would’ve thought I’d be shopping there like it was Kinokuniya?

• Dream Of Fair To Middling Women, by Samuel Beckett

This was found among a mess of books in the MPH store at Raffles City. They’re undergoing renovations soon and have used it as an excuse to get rid of many old copies of books. Actually, now that I think of it, I believe renovations have already started. It’s not in the best condition, but it was cheap and I think minor things like these add character.

• The Tempest, by Billy McShakespeare

Pelican Shakespeare edition.

• Nazi Literature In The Americas, by Roberto Bolaño

I was using this to test if the Book Depository would work well for me, and it did!

• Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keyes

Replacement for my old copy, which I’m either giving off or have already given off. This book was part of a reading programme I had in secondary school. It was probably the only book I really enjoyed and it became one of my first true loves.

• The City And The City, by China Miéville

I haven’t read anything by him before. I thought I should try. It hasn’t arrived yet. Probably later today.

• Nocturnes, by Kazuo Ishiguro

Pre-ordered. It’s the tiny paperback edition, also known as the student-on-a-budget edition. It should be coming in under a month.

As you will have noticed, I have been completing the Beckett section of my library with a trio of cheap books. I wasn’t specifically looking for him. It just fell into place that way.

I’m also very happy with my experience with the Book Depository so far.

d

New Loot

Dropped by at Kinokuniya, got a couple of presents for a couple of people, and also added to my library. Here’s what came in through the window:

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time
Mark Haddon

I’ve read this before, actually, but I just had to add it to my library. It was also a long time ago since I read it, so I thought it would be a good time to make the purchase. It’s a book I remember being tremendously amused with, actually, and I’m very fond of it.

Waiting For Godot
Samuel Beckett

I have no theatre on my shelves, and I figured that that grievance had to be addressed. Something I know and love to begin with.

By Night In Chile
Roberto Bolaño

I’m devouring 2666 rather happily (more on that some other time), and so far the one affirmation I’ve had from it is that Bolaño is a magnificent writer. I’m keen to explore a bit more, so I’m starting with this.

Your Inner Fish
Neil Shubin

This volume is a natural history book exploring the evolution of the human body. I’ve had my eye on it for quite a while now, and now that the paperback is out, I’m happy to see my first science book in quite a bit. (I think the last Science book I bought was a Feynman, and that was the middle of last year, if memory serves.)

Selected Poems
T.S. Eliot

Eliot is one of the most important of writers to me, so it’ll probably seem more than a bit strange if I told you now that I gave away or sold all of my Eliot. A recent quote invoked by a friend of mine reminded me that it was high-time I restored Eliot to my shelf, and so here he is, in a lovely ff edition.

Murder In The Cathedral
T.S. Eliot

As a combination of the two previous points on Eliot and theatre, I also got my hands on an Eliot play. I’ve never read this before, and now’s as good a time as any, though that’s just a euphemism of a sort, since it’ll be a while before I get to it.

All in all, it went slightly over my budget, and I got a gift for someone whom I probably shouldn’t have got a gift for, but I think we’re doing well, especially with the return of science, the restoration of Eliot and the first seeds of theatre. All very good.

d