Sex and Aesthetics in Samuel Beckett's Work [Hardcover]

This book places sex and sexuality firmly at the heart of Beckett. From the earliest prose to the late plays, Paul Stewart uncovers a profound mistrust of procreation which nevertheless allows for a surprising variety of non-reproductive forms of sex which challenge established notions of sexual propriety and identity politics.A Rump Sexuality: The Recurrence of Defecating Horses in Beckett's Oeuvre The Horror of Sex? The Horrors of Reproduction Alternating and Alternative Sexualities Sex and Aesthetics Aesthetic Reproduction across the Oeuvre

Here, finally, is the first comprehensive study of sex in Beckett s work, and Stewart tackles this fascinating and complex topic with intellectual dexterity, scholarly rigor, and necessary wit. Whether dealing with erudite references, textual details, or larger philosophical concerns, this book shows fine critical judgment in examining the role sex and sexuality plays in Beckett s aesthetic thinking. - Mark Nixon, Director, Beckett International Foundation, University of Reading

Stewart's compelling book is the best study currently available of how the material of art comes from the mixed world of matter. He negotiates the familiar pathways and the less frequented back roads with admirable fluency, flexibility, and flair, and opens up a whole new field both for the Beckett beginner and for seasoned performers misguided enough to suppose they knew their Beckett well. - John Pilling, Emeritus Professor of English and European Literature, University of Reading

Stewart's book is a milestone in our understanding of sexuality in Beckett's work. Stewart brings a sane, informed, and judicious eye to assessing the varieties of sexual representation, from the early to the late writings, linking them to key themes of death, desire, deviancy, and the discontents of artistic creativity. A penetrating and refreshing analysis. - R?n?n McDonald, Australian Ireland Fund Chair of Modern Irish Stlă