More lines from "First Love"

Hello everybody

These days I am reading First Love, by Samuel Beckett, and I am pretty sure that the story will cause me nosebleed(s)!

Could you please explain the following lines to me?

The living wash in vain, in vain perfume themselves, they stink. Yes, as a place for as outing, when out I must, leave me my graveyards and keep-you-to your public parks and beauty-spots.”

PS: Do you think that the underlined sentence is correctly formed?

Tom

I can see nothing wrong with that sentence. Try putting it differently: “The living wash in vain and in vain (they) perfume themselves, because they always stink.” Or: “No matter how much the living wash and perfume themselves, they will always stink.” :slight_smile:

Thank you, Conchita

Could you please explain the line to me that is not underlined?

I would be thankful!

Tom

Well, there goes my interpretation: clearly, his favourite outing spots, when he has to go out, are graveyards. He doesn’t care for the public parks and beautiful places in the countryside that other people like and normally go to.