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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
Die Autobiographie von Simone de Beauvoir von ihrer Kindheit bis zum Tod ihrer Freundin Zaza (siehe auch das Buch “Die Unzertrennlichen”). Ich fand es sehr interessant, wie lange (eigentlich bis zum Ende des Buches) Simone in den elterlichen und gesellschaftlichen Zwängen gefangen war. Sie kann auch “unmoralische” Verhaltensweisen von anderen Menschen nur auf rationaler Ebene akzeptieren aber in ihrem tiefsten Inneren fühlt sie sich immer noch unwohl wenn sie es beobachtet oder davon erfährt.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
I thought making De Beauvoir's friendship with Zaza a loose through-line in the memoir was very smart, as it gave a cohesion to De Beauvoir's youth as explored in the memoir and, at least the way she presented it, was emblematic of her struggles with religion and expectation.
I read this memoir at the wrong point in my life. I hoped it would give me the same nuanced acceptance and wholeness that I had gotten out of A Very Easy Death: but this book is about youth, not death, and is thus by its nature about tumult and uncertainty. It must be open-ended because it serves as a "prelude" to the author's life and freedom.
This book made me feel more aware of some things that have been bothering me, but it didn't give me any sort of resolution on them, nor did I feel like it presented them in a clearer or more interesting way. I read the book and wondered if I am not extraordinarily naive, lacking in original thought, lukewarm, etc., but was not convinced of anything relative to any of those topics. I think I had hoped that the book would ease some sense of loneliness, and I might find some aspects of De Beauvoir's life familiar, even if they would (obviously) not be all that similar to mine. In some ways I did find that, and I appreciated the clarity with which she elucidated her feelings and experiences, but I found that I shared few instincts with her. Which is good, it was spoiled of me to think I would find anything different, I don't say this to detract from the memoir so much as to expound on the statement "I didn't read this at the right time."
I will say, this book did make me very glad I am studying math. As much as I think getting your ideas and your morals and your beliefs straight, as you do in philosophy, is a necessary task in life, I not rarely got to the more philosophy heavy portions of the book and found myself drawing harsh comparisons between it and Mathematics. They don't satisfy the same need, I shouldn't do this, but all the same I found myself firmly planted in the role of a philosophically uneducated person who cannot be made to believe that this is an actual defect, even if I think intellectually that I ought to.
Also I was not familiar with enough of the plays or movie mentioned in this book to know if they were particularly significant unless De Beauvoir summarized the plot. It would have been nice to have footnotes on these.
I read this memoir at the wrong point in my life. I hoped it would give me the same nuanced acceptance and wholeness that I had gotten out of A Very Easy Death: but this book is about youth, not death, and is thus by its nature about tumult and uncertainty. It must be open-ended because it serves as a "prelude" to the author's life and freedom.
This book made me feel more aware of some things that have been bothering me, but it didn't give me any sort of resolution on them, nor did I feel like it presented them in a clearer or more interesting way. I read the book and wondered if I am not extraordinarily naive, lacking in original thought, lukewarm, etc., but was not convinced of anything relative to any of those topics. I think I had hoped that the book would ease some sense of loneliness, and I might find some aspects of De Beauvoir's life familiar, even if they would (obviously) not be all that similar to mine. In some ways I did find that, and I appreciated the clarity with which she elucidated her feelings and experiences, but I found that I shared few instincts with her. Which is good, it was spoiled of me to think I would find anything different, I don't say this to detract from the memoir so much as to expound on the statement "I didn't read this at the right time."
I will say, this book did make me very glad I am studying math. As much as I think getting your ideas and your morals and your beliefs straight, as you do in philosophy, is a necessary task in life, I not rarely got to the more philosophy heavy portions of the book and found myself drawing harsh comparisons between it and Mathematics. They don't satisfy the same need, I shouldn't do this, but all the same I found myself firmly planted in the role of a philosophically uneducated person who cannot be made to believe that this is an actual defect, even if I think intellectually that I ought to.
Also I was not familiar with enough of the plays or movie mentioned in this book to know if they were particularly significant unless De Beauvoir summarized the plot. It would have been nice to have footnotes on these.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
I love de Beavoir’s writing style and these memories of her early years are fascinating. To read of where she started and what she became is amazing.
reflective
slow-paced
I’ve been on a roll with fabulous memoirs lately. Simone de Beauvoir’s really shines for her intense reflections about life from a young age. This book takes us on a journey with her from infancy to the end of her university career. Her writing is infectious. Without false modesty, she is so sure of how special she is from the get go, thanks to evidently good parenting and the reassurance of her own mind and psyche. As she grows up, she has to face increased challenges due to her social class, her gender, and just the general things everyone goes through. In the end, she’s able to flourish in university, build a solid group of friends, meet some equally as gifted people as herself and slowly shape up the philosophy that will make her immortal.
I liked this book because it gave an intimate look at the philosopher’s life, hinting at the development of her line of thinking, but mostly focusing on the personal experiences. It felt so relatable, like reading a journal, except written a lot better. Simone’s aspirations in her life always felt so natural and realistic. Maybe it’s just because she is an extraordinary individual, but I felt like I could really connect with her through the pages. I really enjoyed how important literature was in her life, one of many relatable elements.
Another, more significant one, was her relationship with the idea of getting married and generally her approach to affection. We see a very one sided account of her feelings for Jaques, she provides this painstakingly passionate narrative, even though she’s writing so many years later, and I for one was really hoping that a sudden turn would show that all the red flags were nothing and they lived happily ever after. But what I appreciated the most was probably the way in which Simone shamelessly exposed her inner thoughts, her continuous fantasies. She has a rich life, but she finds comfort in the idea of being loved by someone, especially when he’s away and he’s just a figment of her imagination. She finds so many justifications for him, but I think, really, she mostly does it for herself. She’s a bit disappointed when reality happens, but she recovers. Maybe it helps, looking back, that his life goes so wrong and he expresses longing for her and regret in the end. Maybe that little victory at the end makes it sweeter. In any case, I loved her honesty and this part of the story felt very relatable to me. Reading the fallout was so painful.
Also, it was interesting to read about Zazà story in this form. I’d previously read the fictionalised version, the inseparables, which is beautiful in its own right. But this version is even more heartbreaking. The institution of marriage comes out of this book looking quite shabby, and I think that’s only accurate given the time and place. It’s so sad that society, at one point, was so disgustingly single minded about something so intimate. If anything I’m grateful Simone de Beauvoir’s body of work contributed to changing perceptions on it, it vindicates Zazà and everyone else. I don’t begrudge men for doing things I don’t, cause at this point in history, it is entirely my choice, but it does make me angry that they suck so much sometimes. I think this book, without perhaps even setting out to do so, really captures the complexity of human relationships, the difficulty in being loved, the painful line between love and admiration. Maybe it’s just because Simone de Beauvoir really just wanted to be a writer, and she is so talented at it. Maybe her latin translations were just as full of life and poetry as her memoirs end up being, she’s just that good. Either way, I loved this book very much, and yes, it’s another straight addition into the books I wish I’d written club.
I liked this book because it gave an intimate look at the philosopher’s life, hinting at the development of her line of thinking, but mostly focusing on the personal experiences. It felt so relatable, like reading a journal, except written a lot better. Simone’s aspirations in her life always felt so natural and realistic. Maybe it’s just because she is an extraordinary individual, but I felt like I could really connect with her through the pages. I really enjoyed how important literature was in her life, one of many relatable elements.
Another, more significant one, was her relationship with the idea of getting married and generally her approach to affection. We see a very one sided account of her feelings for Jaques, she provides this painstakingly passionate narrative, even though she’s writing so many years later, and I for one was really hoping that a sudden turn would show that all the red flags were nothing and they lived happily ever after. But what I appreciated the most was probably the way in which Simone shamelessly exposed her inner thoughts, her continuous fantasies. She has a rich life, but she finds comfort in the idea of being loved by someone, especially when he’s away and he’s just a figment of her imagination. She finds so many justifications for him, but I think, really, she mostly does it for herself. She’s a bit disappointed when reality happens, but she recovers. Maybe it helps, looking back, that his life goes so wrong and he expresses longing for her and regret in the end. Maybe that little victory at the end makes it sweeter. In any case, I loved her honesty and this part of the story felt very relatable to me. Reading the fallout was so painful.
Also, it was interesting to read about Zazà story in this form. I’d previously read the fictionalised version, the inseparables, which is beautiful in its own right. But this version is even more heartbreaking. The institution of marriage comes out of this book looking quite shabby, and I think that’s only accurate given the time and place. It’s so sad that society, at one point, was so disgustingly single minded about something so intimate. If anything I’m grateful Simone de Beauvoir’s body of work contributed to changing perceptions on it, it vindicates Zazà and everyone else. I don’t begrudge men for doing things I don’t, cause at this point in history, it is entirely my choice, but it does make me angry that they suck so much sometimes. I think this book, without perhaps even setting out to do so, really captures the complexity of human relationships, the difficulty in being loved, the painful line between love and admiration. Maybe it’s just because Simone de Beauvoir really just wanted to be a writer, and she is so talented at it. Maybe her latin translations were just as full of life and poetry as her memoirs end up being, she’s just that good. Either way, I loved this book very much, and yes, it’s another straight addition into the books I wish I’d written club.
Avrei voluto leggere questo libro già diversi anni fa, ma per un motivo o per l'altro mi sono sempre trovata a rimandare. Guardandomi alle spalle ora, sono contenta di aver aspettato tanto, perché difficilmente avrei potuto leggerlo in in momento più adatto per apprezzarlo al meglio.
In questo intensissimo libro è racchiusa la prima parte dell'autobiografia di Simone De Beauvoir, scrittrice e filosofa, compagna di Jean-Paul Sartre, promotrice di un femminismo che mi verrebbe da definire "sano", donna tormentata, forte, terribilmente innamorata della libertà.
In queste pagine Simone ci accompagna attraverso la sua infanzia, mostrandoci la rigidità dell'educazione cattolica ricevuta, e ci permette di camminare assieme a lei attraverso il formarsi del suo pensiero, l'affermazione della sua personalità, il lento ma inarrestabile affrancarsi dalle imposizioni familiari, camminando attraverso i corridoi della Sorbona fianco a fianco con quelli che sarebbero diventati grandi personaggi del panorama intellettuale francese ed europeo.
In queste memorie si respira tutto il fervore intellettuale della Parigi sospesa fra le due guerre, di tutte quelle idee che covavano già sotto la cenere, si avverte il fremito di un'epoca che sta inesorabilmente cambiando: accanto a tutte quelle persone che a testa bassa fingono di non vedere il cambiamento si stagliano figure nitide, fiere, piene di forza come quella di Simone, che questo cambiamento nell'aria lo avverte e si prepara ad affrontarlo.
Dicevo, non avrei potuto leggere queste memorie in un momento migliore, a poche settimane dalla mia laurea in Filosofia, facoltà che a Simone era stata negata solo a causa del suo sesso e della sua posizione sociale. Quanto ci si sente piccoli accanto a Simone, e quanto ci si sente grati nel poter riconoscere almeno qualche suo passo come nostro.
Ho trovato straordinario il percorso di crescita intellettuale di quesa ragazza, che da "ragazza perbene", prima della classe in un istituto cattolico, fervente credente, si è trasformata in un una giovane donna libera, che ha avuto la forza e l'onestà intellettuale di non fermarsi davanti alle convinzioni e alle convenzioni imposte dalla sua famiglia e dall'ambiente piccolo borghese che la circondavano. Sono pagine bellissime quelle in cui la sua fede comincia ad incrinarsi, il dubbio si fa strada dentro di lei, e nonostante la paura di ritrovarsi sola (materialmente sola, non avendo più il conforto della sua famiglia e dei suoi amici, e spiritualmente sola) non può fare a meno di perseverare nelle sue concezioni intellettuali. Questa è solo una piccola crepa, perché da questo momento tutte le sue certezze, tutte le sicurezze sul suo mondo, sulla sua famiglia, sulla società in cui è cresciuta cominciano ad incrinarsi, tutto può essere messo in dubbio, e l'unica àncora di salvezza risulta la propria mente, il proprio riflettere, la propria filosofia.
È con una forza e una determinazione comune a pochi che la giovanissima Simone si ribella dal profondo del suo essere alle costrizioni che non le permettono di esprimersi liberamente: il suo non è, o non è solo, sprito di contraddizione adolescenziale. Simone vuole scrivere, non vuole alcun ostacolo fra lei e la ricerca della verità, vuole poter essere libera, giudicata per le sue azioni e il suo pensiero, e non per la classe sociale d'appartenenza o per il suo sesso, e lo vuole con una forza tenacissima.
C'è, a tratti, un pizzico di autocompiacimento che potrebbe far sembrare questa giovane donna vagamente piena di sé, ma accanto a tutto questo Simone ci svela tutte le sue fragilità, la sua solitudine, i suoi disperati rapporti interpersonali, tanto che è impossibile non provare ammirazione, compassione, ma soprattutto gratitudine nei confronti di una donna così grande.
In questo intensissimo libro è racchiusa la prima parte dell'autobiografia di Simone De Beauvoir, scrittrice e filosofa, compagna di Jean-Paul Sartre, promotrice di un femminismo che mi verrebbe da definire "sano", donna tormentata, forte, terribilmente innamorata della libertà.
In queste pagine Simone ci accompagna attraverso la sua infanzia, mostrandoci la rigidità dell'educazione cattolica ricevuta, e ci permette di camminare assieme a lei attraverso il formarsi del suo pensiero, l'affermazione della sua personalità, il lento ma inarrestabile affrancarsi dalle imposizioni familiari, camminando attraverso i corridoi della Sorbona fianco a fianco con quelli che sarebbero diventati grandi personaggi del panorama intellettuale francese ed europeo.
In queste memorie si respira tutto il fervore intellettuale della Parigi sospesa fra le due guerre, di tutte quelle idee che covavano già sotto la cenere, si avverte il fremito di un'epoca che sta inesorabilmente cambiando: accanto a tutte quelle persone che a testa bassa fingono di non vedere il cambiamento si stagliano figure nitide, fiere, piene di forza come quella di Simone, che questo cambiamento nell'aria lo avverte e si prepara ad affrontarlo.
Dicevo, non avrei potuto leggere queste memorie in un momento migliore, a poche settimane dalla mia laurea in Filosofia, facoltà che a Simone era stata negata solo a causa del suo sesso e della sua posizione sociale. Quanto ci si sente piccoli accanto a Simone, e quanto ci si sente grati nel poter riconoscere almeno qualche suo passo come nostro.
Ho trovato straordinario il percorso di crescita intellettuale di quesa ragazza, che da "ragazza perbene", prima della classe in un istituto cattolico, fervente credente, si è trasformata in un una giovane donna libera, che ha avuto la forza e l'onestà intellettuale di non fermarsi davanti alle convinzioni e alle convenzioni imposte dalla sua famiglia e dall'ambiente piccolo borghese che la circondavano. Sono pagine bellissime quelle in cui la sua fede comincia ad incrinarsi, il dubbio si fa strada dentro di lei, e nonostante la paura di ritrovarsi sola (materialmente sola, non avendo più il conforto della sua famiglia e dei suoi amici, e spiritualmente sola) non può fare a meno di perseverare nelle sue concezioni intellettuali. Questa è solo una piccola crepa, perché da questo momento tutte le sue certezze, tutte le sicurezze sul suo mondo, sulla sua famiglia, sulla società in cui è cresciuta cominciano ad incrinarsi, tutto può essere messo in dubbio, e l'unica àncora di salvezza risulta la propria mente, il proprio riflettere, la propria filosofia.
È con una forza e una determinazione comune a pochi che la giovanissima Simone si ribella dal profondo del suo essere alle costrizioni che non le permettono di esprimersi liberamente: il suo non è, o non è solo, sprito di contraddizione adolescenziale. Simone vuole scrivere, non vuole alcun ostacolo fra lei e la ricerca della verità, vuole poter essere libera, giudicata per le sue azioni e il suo pensiero, e non per la classe sociale d'appartenenza o per il suo sesso, e lo vuole con una forza tenacissima.
C'è, a tratti, un pizzico di autocompiacimento che potrebbe far sembrare questa giovane donna vagamente piena di sé, ma accanto a tutto questo Simone ci svela tutte le sue fragilità, la sua solitudine, i suoi disperati rapporti interpersonali, tanto che è impossibile non provare ammirazione, compassione, ma soprattutto gratitudine nei confronti di una donna così grande.
medium-paced