Philosopher Schopenhauer (1788-1860) was already well established in his enduring obscurity, says Pothast (emeritus, philosophy, Hannover U. of Music and Drama), when playwright Beckett (1906-89) became enamored with his work, particularly his ideas about art. He summarizes and clarifies the ideas that the two shared, and shows how guises of them appear in various plays. This is an English translation of the German original. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)