No Exit and the Flies [Hardcover]

Jean-Paul Sartre (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 12, 1947

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background — all to help you gain greater insight into great works you're bound to study for school or pleasure.

In CliffsNotes on Sartre's No Exit & The Flies, you examine two well-known plays by Jean-Baptiste Sartre and discover how Sartre uses his work to put forth his philosophy of existentialism. Both plays were written during the Nazi occupation of France in WWII and deal with the central of theme of freedom, which is a hallmark of Sartre's existential philosophy.

In this study guide, you'll find Life of the Author, as well as detailed Summaries and Commentaries of both plays. You'll also find critical essays on the following topics:

• Sartrean existentialism: Principles and philosophies, existentialism before Sartre, an overview of existentialism, and Sartre's specific principles of existentialism
• Sartre's political ideas
• Sartre's dramatic formula
• Plus suggested essay topics and a selected bibliography

Classic literature or modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 166 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; First Edition edition (June 12, 1947)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394406427
• ISBN-13: 978-0394406428
• Shipping Information: View shipping rates and policies
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,928,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE existentialist play, January 9, 2002

By 

Evan (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Exit and the Flies (Hardcover)

As an actor/aspiring playwrite/existentialist I figured this was right up my alley. It was. I borrowed No Exit a while ago, and read it straight through twice (once during an important math class, and later during chemestry). I'm buying my own copy now. Don't just read this (or anything...especially plays) only once! Do you think Paul McCartney only listened to Stevie Wonder once? (wink to anyone who can identify this quote) This is a great play, even if you're not into reading plays, or not into philosophy. The Bauhaus theatre dictum of form following function is great to keep in mind, as this is similar to didactic theatre. The post before mine is a bit misleading in writing it off as 'weird' and an unconventional view of hell. It could be both things if you want to stay in the shallow end all of your life. No Exit is best read with an understanding of the anti-naturalism, but this is only to understand why it's 'weird' and is not nessesary. I don't want to tell you how to interperate the play or anything, so I won't go into why it is not an unconventional view of hell. If you want to know, or discuss the play (or pretty much any other play/theory) IM me on AIM: Digestingtrevor or Email me at Don'[e-mail] Just remove 'don't spam' from it. Know also Sartre was not primarilly a playwrite. He was a prominant existentialist philosopher/essayist, but turned to playwriting (thank god[though he won't respond!]) as a new medium for expression. He's also quite good as a playwrite for a philosopher! REALLY good! It's great to be frustrated with the characters and really feel like you are going insane. (possibly the birth of reality TV? it's funny how much it is like the real world.) This is a GREAT read for the Arist(of all mediums),philosopher,and the person who just wants to read something cool. I suggest this book to all different types of people, and they all love it. You can easilly read this with no desire to put any interperative thought into it, and love it just as much as if you want to delve into it's infinate levels of meaning and relevance. It is both entertaining and enlightening.