Dream of Fair to Middling Women
Encyclopedia
Dream of Fair to Middling Women is Samuel Beckett’s
first novel. Written in English
"in a matter of weeks" in 1932 when Beckett was only 26 and living in Paris
, the clearly autobiographical novel
was rejected by publishers and shelved by the author. It was eventually published in 1992, three years after the author's death. The main character Belacqua, a writer and teacher, is very similar to Beckett himself, though a character named "Mr. Beckett" also makes an appearance in the book.
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
first novel. Written in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
"in a matter of weeks" in 1932 when Beckett was only 26 and living in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, the clearly autobiographical novel
Autobiographical novel
An autobiographical novel is a form of novel using autofiction techniques, or the merging of autobiographical and fiction elements. The literary technique is distinguished from an autobiography or memoir by the stipulation of being fiction...
was rejected by publishers and shelved by the author. It was eventually published in 1992, three years after the author's death. The main character Belacqua, a writer and teacher, is very similar to Beckett himself, though a character named "Mr. Beckett" also makes an appearance in the book.