A review by mairivoice
Becoming Beauvoir: A Life by Kate Kirkpatrick

4.0

This is both a respectful and detailed biography of Simone de Beauvoir. Having read Deirdre Bair's biography and Simone's autobiographies it was enlightening to be provided with both more detail and greater analysis of Simone de Beauvoir's philosophy and life's work. Much of what is written about de Beauvoir focuses on her relationship with Sartre. What is revealed in this book is that de Beauvoir led her own life, was an independent thinker and whilst she saw Sartre as an intellectual thinker and friend, she had her own independent thoughts and perceptions of the world. What is obvious that many perspectives of de Beauvoir have seriously undermined her philosophy and her work and only perceived her as a second to Sartre. Kate Kirkpatrick shows how very untrue this is.