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richardbakare 's review for:
At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails
by Sarah Bakewell
Though I majored in Philosophy, my professors spent little time on the Existentialist thinkers. Perhaps it was not their area of expertise, or it may have been out of fashion, or some other reason. What I missed out on is diligently surmised by Sarah Bakewell in an engaging and thought provoking journey through history and life’s greatest mysteries.
Though tiny compared to the works of the subjects covered within, Bakewell manages to present a complete compendium of the historical context of the events, culture, and relationships that shaped existentialist philosophy. Moreover, she shows how perhaps no other philosophy manage to enthrall the masses and influence fiction, film, music and more. Because no other philosophy reflects life in the moment like existentialism.
Rather than lay things out in an encyclopedic flow, the format of this account casts us as flies on the wall of the cafes these intellectual giants haunted. We are first hand witnesses to all of the interactions that impacted them and subsequently their work on philosophy. We are also shown a mirror on our life by zooming out to general qualities of existence that make these philosophers relatable and approachable for the novice and expert alike.
Though tiny compared to the works of the subjects covered within, Bakewell manages to present a complete compendium of the historical context of the events, culture, and relationships that shaped existentialist philosophy. Moreover, she shows how perhaps no other philosophy manage to enthrall the masses and influence fiction, film, music and more. Because no other philosophy reflects life in the moment like existentialism.
Rather than lay things out in an encyclopedic flow, the format of this account casts us as flies on the wall of the cafes these intellectual giants haunted. We are first hand witnesses to all of the interactions that impacted them and subsequently their work on philosophy. We are also shown a mirror on our life by zooming out to general qualities of existence that make these philosophers relatable and approachable for the novice and expert alike.