In Beckett before Godot, John Pilling reevaluates the formative years of Beckett between the publication of his first work in 1929 and the composition late in 1946 of The Calmative, his last work before "the trilogy." Using a wealth of unpublished manuscripts and correspondence from around the world, Pilling offers for the first time a coherent critical narrative of Beckett's development during this long period of apprenticeship. Beckett before Godot modifies and enhances our understanding of one of this century's most influential authors.