RE: On the Necessity of Sucking Stones
My friend, a mathematition, enjoys all the elements of combinatorics in Beckett's works (Molloy is not the only work, where such mindblowing scenes can be found)... Another friend of mine, who is into arthouse cinema, also finds a lot of enjoyment reading Beckett, he is always in search of something new: new impressions, new concepts...
I see it absolutely differently.
When I started to read the first part of Molloy, I saw one's stream of consciousness, and if you follow it along, you learn a lot about this man. Speaking unclear, he's trying to tell us about himself, but his conscious mind leads him far far away from what was intended to be said. And at some point I realize that I'm getting a chance to see someone from the inside, wander in his subconscious, who crossed a certain line when he maybe doesn't need anyone anymore, consumed with himself, losing simplicity, is he even interested in other people's feelings?.. Frightening.
Your post reminded me of the existence of the line, Lazarus )
Haha, I surely moved away from the "stone" topic you raised)
Not to worry about going off topic, these tangents are often much more interesting!
Molloy's depth and transience as a character is profound indeed, and that fine 'line' as you put it between personalities and people quite troubling. I find him a lot more readable than Joyce's stream of consciousness in 'Portrait of an Artist', mostly for the insights on consciousness which he brings to bear. Beckett's work generally is pretty mysterious - there's few others like him.
Appreciate your perspective on this :)