Customer Reviews

Simone de Beauvoir: A Biography

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

 

 

Really, this book was a page-turner, a book of facts so well-written it made one want to know more, more, more, even when the knowing was almost painful out of de Beauvoir empathy. I wanted to read it as a companion to de Beauvoir's autobiographical series and was particularly grateful to Bair for pointing out incidents in which de Beauvoir "guilded the lily" when she recounted her own life. De Beauvoir's autobiography and this make perfect companions for a study on auto/biography and its subjectivication. (Also see Silent Woman by Janet Malcom.)

I had read previous biographical material on de Beauvoir, but none I ever felt was so complete, and helped me to know her so well. I strongly recommend this as history, literary criticism, psychology and philosophy.

The value of this biography is that it adds new facts andcorrects some of SdB's own mis- representations of her life. But it'stoo repetitive, often concentrating on insignficant chronologies of her trips, etc. Lacks sufficient explanation of the stultifying catholic education she rejected early in her life (was it guilt-inducing jansenistic sexophobia, the doctrine of a caring God, etc) or of the basic existentialist tenets which guided her life, such as the self-creating life project, absolute responsiblity for choices, etc. Badly in need of a final summing up chapter listing and analyzing the very disparate opinions about the contradictions and import of this amazing woman, eg was it unfathomable tenderness or simply self-delusion that enabled her to transform the ecstasy she felt with Nelson Algren into the sublimest and most poignant love affair? In many aspects of her life SdB could be a example for many women, but after reading this book one is still left wondering how and why.

Deirdre Bair intereviewed de Beauvoir for five years, before producing this magisterial biography. Although de Beauvoir wrote four volumes of autobiography (Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter (Perennial Classics); The Prime of Life: The Autobiography of Simone De Beauvoir; Hard Times: Force of Circumstance, Volume II: 1952-1962 (The Autobiography of Simone de Beauvoir); All Said and Done), Bair's account give much that de Beauvoir herself left out.

De Beauvoir explains the origin of her "Beaver" ("Castor" in French) nickname, which was given to her by fellow student Rene Maheu in honor of her "prodigious work habits" (i.e., "You're a little beaver"). When Bair asked about de Beauvoir's possible romantic relationship with Maheu in these early days, "The question produced a thunderclap of anger: 'That is absolutely not true ... I never even kissed a man on the mouth then, never, never, never!"

Of course, de Beauvoir's relationship with Jean-Paul Sartre is chronicled in some detail. Bair deals frankly with de Beauvoir's deference to Sartre: "Simone de Beauvoir declared repeatedly for the rest of her life that Sartre's intellect was superior to her own, and her remarks have caused consternation and anger in equal parts among those who study her life and work. This is probably because she frequently describes herself in ways which would make it seem that she never had a thought or idea that was not first given to her by Sartre." Bair notes that they DID originally discuss marriage: "He proposed, citing the budgetary advantages of being posted to the same city and living in the same quarters. She declined, refusing to give in to bourgeois standards imposed by circumstances."

Bair chronicles the unusual sexual relationship between them: e.g., "It was the first of a succession of intense friendships Simone de Beauvoir formed with her students, all of whom subsequently acquiesed to sexual liasisons with Sartre." Sartre "openly paraded all his other women in full public view," while she "kept all her affairs as secret as possible because 'It didn't look good for me to be with other men. People expected me to be faithful, so I pretended that I was.'" Bair writes the "She told (writer Nelson) Algren that she and Sartre had stopped being lovers after their first eight or ten years together because Sartre was 'never enthusiastic in bed,' but that their friendship had become strong and deep." (De Beauvoir denied---not very convincingly---sexual relationships with women.) Her romantic relationship with Nelson Algren broke up as she wrote about the relationship: "Algren's rage over 'The Mandarins' was nothing compared to his fury over what she wrote about him in the memoirs."

Concerning the enigmatic statement "I was gypped" at the end of the third volume of her autobiography, de Beauvoir explained to Bair, "It was as if everything Sartre and I had worked for meant nothing. We had very little hope in our lives, and I expressed it in my writing."

De Beauvoir admitted her heavy alcohol use in later life to Bair: "I like to drink very much.... I mean, I feel better when I drink something in the morning.... the drinking I do during the day and the evening---that, for me, is essential. I need that."

This is a very detailed, absorbing, and insightful biography of one of the 20th century's most important and influential writers and intellectuals.

Since I have a budding interest in existentialism, I thought this would be a fascinating read. Perhaps for some it is, but much of the symbolism escaped me, and if you aren't able to make the deeper connections, then you may find this little book boring. At least it's brief though. I'm giving the book 3 stars instead of 2 only because I know it's a classic and that those who 'get it' like it.

I read this biography because it was impossible for me to read Letters to Sartre without some assistance. I found myself completely engaged in this biography - it was a truly fascinating read. The chapters are usually less than 15 pages long, which I find makes for easier reading. There are extensive notes that expound upon statements, provide details of how others interpreted aspects of Simone's life and work, and site sources/references. It gets a little tedious going back and forth, but I'm glad Bair felt the need to include them.

Simone stated on numerous occasions - in interviews with Bair and in her autobiographies - that it was impossible to write about herself without writing about Sartre; this became quite clear early on because their lives were so intertwined. The story of their relationship is amazing - I found myself appalled, touched, envious, angered and saddened as I read about the progression of their friendship. While it's hard to sympathize with Simone, I found myself really disliking Sartre because it seemed like most of the time, all he did was take while Simone did nothing but give - which she seemed okay with, whether this is how she saw it or not.

The only reason I am not giving this biography five stars is that Bair relied on Simone extensively for information. Simone admitted herself that she wasn't 100% truthful/accurate in her autobiographies and memoirs and I believe she had a history of deceiving biographers. And apparently, she lied to Bair also. She told Bair that she never had sexual relationships with women when in fact she did (she details these in her letters to Sartre) and she stated that her letters to Sartre were unemotional and short - just quick jottings down of her day to day life (her letters could be quite emotional and very lengthy). I am curious to know if she really believed she was telling the truth when she told Bair - and others - that most of her letters to Sartre were missing or if she was intentionally deceptive.

Bair spent a decent amount of space on Simone's fiction and she frequently correlates events with the autobiographies in the notes (she lets the reader know about the 'corrections' Simone made in her interviews with Bair and made note of inconsistencies). I am grateful for this biography because I now want to read more of Simone's work that I had not previously wanted to (particularly America Day by Day and Adieux: A Farewell to Sartre).

This large tome is the definitive biography of French author, philosopher, novelist and feminist, Simone de Beauvoir. Bair had access to Beauvoir's time and cooperation during the last six years before her death in 1986 at the age of 78. Hence, there is nothing left unanswered; all is revealed in a frank expose of her life, politics, work ethic, and relationships.

Beauvoir, the author of the landmark 1949 feminist work, The Second Sex, provides Bair with extraordinary insights into the embryonic beginnings of all her literary works, their developments, the public's response and her response to public opinion. It also details her relationship with fellow novelist and existentialist, Jean-Paul Sartre, whom she met at the Sorbonne in 1929 and remained with for life. It tells of their brief relationships with other writers such as Albert Camus and Arthur Koestler, both whom she weaved into her novel The Mandarins in 1954.

Other relationships emerge as critical in Beauvoir's life: her mother, her sister, her adopted daughter, and other younger women; all of whom shaped her earlier thoughts and philosophies. Considering herself old at forty-four, writing on ageing as cathartic therapy, she surrounds herself with youthful artists and lovers, including Claude Lanzmann and Nelson Algren. However, it is Sartre that has the greatest influence on her life, and she on his. It becomes clear that their relationship was intricately and inexplicably entwined: philosophically, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Working side by side, they were each other's competitor, collaborator, and inspiration.

This is an interesting and challenging read for all lovers of Simone de Beauvoir or Jean-Paul Sartre and their literary works.

Martina Nicolls, Author of "The Sudan Curse" and "Kashmir on a Knife-Edge"

This biography adds to the memoirs de Beauboir has already written. It tells her complete life story and provides new information and viewpoints. It sometimes feels too long, but is usually clear and engaging.

Turgid. There is no question this book is based on genuine and scholarly research. But the ordinary but informed reader is better leaving this one to the academicians.

According to Claude Lanzmann there are several major errors which do occur in Bairs book, and basically it's gives a rotten and unworthy presentation of de Beauvoirs life and work.

/Leah Greber