Customer Reviews

Sartre for Beginners (Writers and Readers Documentary Comic Book,)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a joy. I knew nothing about Sartre or Existentialism and found this book very clear and easy to follow. Unlike another Sartre book claiming to be an easily understood introduction, this one contains graphics and cartoons that aren't just caricatures of the people involved (how is knowing what they looked like going to help me follow the facts?). The graphics in this book are simple, funny visual descriptions and explanations of a rather complex subject. Not complex at all since I read this book. It's not a vastly detailed scientific study of Sartre's work. It is what it promises to be: A Beginner's Guide to Sartre. With no knowledge of philosophy, I found it fascinating and easy to follow, and it's whetted my appetite for further reading. There are others in this series, about other philosophers, and I'd recommend them all if you just want a little basic knowledge to enhance your knowledge of the world!

I have to agree with the Reader from New York below. _Sartre For Beginners_ from Writers and Readers Publishing was indeed a good place to start, unlike _Introducing Sartre_ from Totem Books.

The writing style was clear and concise, and the illustrations appropriately complemented the material. The book is well structured, with a short Biographical section, a lengthy section on Sartre's Existentialism (focusing primarily on Being and Nothingness), and ending with a short section on Sarte's Marxism. The Glossary was greatly appreciated as was the Sources of Quoted Passages and Bibilography.

While I don't agree with half of what Sartre has to say, Donald Palmer's introductory presentation of Sartre's Philosophy is first rate, and thus I gave it 5-Stars.

Sartre for Beginners by Donald Palmer (whom wrote a few of the 'For Beginners' books) gives a fun look at the popularizer of existentialism. Drawing from Sartre's life experiences, biography and influences to show how Sartre came to his theories. An easy read, although one must still contemplate on some level the philosophies that are presented before them. A good beginning book for anyone who wants to learn more about Sarte and existentialism in general. A good addition to the For Beginners book series.

This book is not only informative but also humorous. There are many things that Sartre brings attention to that I have experienced in my own life but never noticed very much. For instance, Sartre's concepts of "being-for-itself" and "being-in-itself." If you are interested in an introduction to Sartre and the philosophy of existentialism, this is a good book to begin with. The reason I don't give the book five stars is because some of the points were explained badly, and the book got a little dry towards the end.

This book is very easy to read. It consists of cartoons and some text. The text presents some of Sartre's ideas in a humorous way. For example:
"We are condemned to be free",
"Hell is other people",
"Nothingness lies coiled in the heart of a being, like a worm", etc.
I wish I had read this book in elementary school.
Buy this book and read it in one breath. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain, as it will open your appetite to read more of Sartre.
The book is not written by Sartre himself, but as the saying goes, "it is even better than the real thing".

I'm surprised people actually enjoyed this...
I love the "For Beginners" series but this is by far the worst one I have read. The difference between this and, for example, Kierkegaard for Beginners is amazing. It's basically just a lack of real content. I'd still say it's alright as an introduction considering it's not wrong or anything, but honestly I expected much more from a book in this series.