An essential freedom, existential freedom

Twenty-one years and aggregation of philosophy in 1929. The meeting of Jean-Paul Sartre. These are the decisive years for Simone de Beauvoir. Those in which is fulfilled his vocation as a writer, so long dreamed. Ten years in teaching, writing, traveling rucksack, to make friends, to get excited about new ideas. The prime of life is fully attained when the war broke out in 1939, putting an abrupt end to ten years of beautifully free life.

Second part of his memoirs, the book covers some fifteen years, from 1929 to 1945. Curiously, the theme that underlies it is from this quon could imagine (linsouciance of youth). Rather it comes from the design that Beauvoir is death, which obviously reflects on life by giving it meaning. The interest of the book is also due to critical return allowed by the delay between events and their relationship: The Force seems the age in 1960, 30 years after the events described.

Lorsquen Simone returned to Paris in 1929, her relationship with Sartre is still nen Quà its beginnings and yet is already an unbreakable bond. A special link though. Sartre is not a fan of monogamy! For him, every meeting promises new wealth: it would be foolish to deprive sen. Sexplique Sartre: "Between Us () it comes dun love necessary: ​​should we also knew contingent loves". He offered him a two-year lease for during which they would devote themselves totally one to another, without any interference. Then they could be separated, even for two or three years, "nothing would prevail against this alliance." Sartre vain swaggering, this does not lempêchera, about to be sent to Le Havre to teach while Simone parachuted in Marseille, proposing marriage to her, not to be separated Simone refuse flatly.

The shared time together is spent primarily in the conversation, to the emergence of theories that they defend tooth and nail against the front-arguments, but that they put in the room next to the new dune advantage: they are seen sexercer philosophical game. Lexistentialisme appear the first protests in Sartre and Simone in, that will only grow, "Nothing, therefore limiting us, nothing defined us, nothing we assujettissait; our relationship with the world, this is who we were creating them; Freedom was our very substance "quoiquils each design freedom in a different way.

From the literary point of view, this is during this period that will be published LInvitée first novel by Simone. She makes a sharp analysis and devoid of the slightest indulgence. The Blood of Others and will follow subject of an identical shelling. Sartre publishes. Gradually, they are an intellectual circle and we see a parade of characters such as Camus, Queneau, Picasso, Giacometti,

Beauvoir also tells of the many trips during school holidays menu. Follower of walking, she indulges sy without measure, usually alone, without care, without proper equipment. What had happened: the fall, serious, and the first direct confrontation with death. The idea which was sen continue to evolve, especially on the occasion dune second very nasty fall, this time by bike.

Their relationship to money is ambiguous. They despise the bourgeoisie but Simone lucidity to say: "Our indifference to money was a luxury we could afford because we possess enough not to suffer from want and dow not forced into hard labor. Our open-minded, we had a culture and accessible projects only to our class. Cétait our condition of young petty-bourgeois intellectuals who encouraged us to believe we unconditioned. "

Of course, the political climate senvenime. The threat of Nazism nest First of all not taken seriously. Then the war broke out. Sartre will be recalled, sent to the front, taken prisoner, then freed demobilized. Simone describes alerts, curfews, food scarcity. But most impressive is to see that life goes Simone comes and goes, with or without Sartre, crossing the line for a vacation in the free zone!

This book is full, nay, overflowing, exciting information on the protagonists and lépoque. Moreover, Simone de Beauvoir writing dune gratifies us, not easy point certainly, but rich, and this is well worth a little effort to overcome the 622 pages! Personally, I enjoyed this book.