Written in French, from 24 October 1979 to 21 January 1981, this second text of the set of three, published as
Nohow On(
Company, Ill Seen Ill Said, Worstward Ho), was translated into English by Beckett (late 1980, early 1981) even before the original French was finished. When read after the 59 paragraphs of
Company, the 61 paragraphs of
Ill Seen Ill Saidsuggest another variation on the theme of Time. While
Companycan be read as a reflection on a life that has almost, but not quite come to an end,
Ill Seen Ill Saidmay be regarded as a meditation on a life that is coming, or has just come, full circle. But above all, it is – as its title indicates – an exploration of human consciousness and the act of perception.
The protagonist is a woman, with white hair and black clothes. The
1380 words
Citation: Van Hulle, Dirk. "Ill Seen Ill Said". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 September 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4535, accessed 27 December 2024.]
