MurphySex, Lies, and Gasjets
What's most telling is the quote from Beckett to CD producer and San Quentin Drama Workshop Artistic Director, Rick Cluchey, "The book is full of lies." We should not forget that Beckett was teaching literature at Trinity College in Dublin immediately prior to his writing "Murphy" and the book is strewn with false literary and cultural references, the sort that one usually accepts at face value and passes over.The book starts out with Murphy tying himself, naked, arms and legs included, into a rocking chair. Where the third hand comes from to tie down both arms is the mystery. Is this the same third hand that turns the gas jet on when Murphy and Ticklepenny rig the gas line to the garrot?
We can only imagine how an awkward and diminuitive man like Murphy, who is measured in almost every physical detail, continually has the finest women (from Miss Counihan to Celia) swooning over him so completely.
"Murphy" is full of wry comic bits. It is perhaps Beckett's only novel where he uses accents. Irish, Chelsea, Scottish, Hindi, German, all to great comic effect. He has no fear of inventing words like "Panpygoptosis" or Duck's disease; and certainly, everyone should actually play the chess game that Murphy has with Mr. Endon, enlightening.
There is so much in this recording to appreciate; it's more of a radio play than a reading and the acting is wonderful. These are some of the finest Irish and English voices going. They make the novel accessible, or much as can be with out some sort of complete and unabridged dictionary.
But most enjoyable was the unabashed send up of the theosophy so prevalent in the first half of the 20th century. This one is worth listening to (and reading along with, if you're of a mind) over and over again. What a delight. --Reviewer: Robert Sarwin from San Francisco, CA USA
