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saintakim's review against another edition
3.0
actually not the worst thing ever. I had to check how old he was when he published it because this is the most I'm sixteen and too smart for my own good and this is deep book ever, and a grown man of 27 (he finished it when he was 31) wrote it.
it's not that bad, it's sartrian existentialism in an half baked proustian prose with interwar jazzy veneer. really what foreigners have in mind when they picture this black and white chain-smoking cigarette image of french people talking in bar.
some details were very interesting, the role of colonial empire, the critical portrait of pre 68 french education and academia, the casual sex, the gender dynamics.
note: I have to address the fact that if I'm tough on this book, it's because I see a lot of myself in it lol
it's not that bad, it's sartrian existentialism in an half baked proustian prose with interwar jazzy veneer. really what foreigners have in mind when they picture this black and white chain-smoking cigarette image of french people talking in bar.
some details were very interesting, the role of colonial empire, the critical portrait of pre 68 french education and academia, the casual sex, the gender dynamics.
note: I have to address the fact that if I'm tough on this book, it's because I see a lot of myself in it lol
worstarchitect's review
3.0
The novel parts were pretty good, the philosophical treatises were not. Made me not want to read anything about existentialism. They were sometimes a little interesting but mostly it was just the same thing over and over about how things exist and isn't it so fucked up how things exist. Things do be existing, that much is true. Just didn't expect it to be so flat. I'm sure actual existentialist philosophy is more complicated than that but the way it was presented here was boring. I did like the parts where he was losing his mind a little bit, so relatable. I loved the part with the portraits in the museum.
cle_mrl's review against another edition
par moments j’avais l’impression de lire le journal d’alain finkielkraut
pssworded's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ashleydavies's review
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ecstasia's review against another edition
4.0
Je comprends mieux maintenant qu'est-ce ça veut dire existentialisme, merci au maître même de cette école philosophique ; Sartre. tout le long du livre, il m'entraîne dans ses délires structurés et logiques, j'ai aimé par temps et j'ai eu peur par d'autres. Je me suis offusqué par endroits aussi. "Oh mon dieu mais qu'il est arrogant" je me disais quand il commence à voir de haut, en tout dédain certaines idées, comme l'humanisme par exemple. et je hais !!! qu'il a raison.
Sartre était à deux doigts de me convaincre de son discours pessimiste existentialiste, mais ma nature joviale est plus forte :p
Sartre était à deux doigts de me convaincre de son discours pessimiste existentialiste, mais ma nature joviale est plus forte :p
r0binflower's review against another edition
challenging
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
rashikag's review
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25