Malone Dies is the first person monologue of Malone, an old man, lying in bed and waiting to die. The tone is fiercely ironic, highly quotable and, because of its extravagance, also very comic. It catches the reality of old age in a way that is grimly convincing, cruel as humour so often is, and memorable because of Beckett's way with words. A master dramatist, Beckett's novels can be even more effective when heard, and especially when read by a such a Beckett specialist as Sean Barrett.