Simone Beauvoir

Two sisters must find their way in a world designed to confine them. Marcelle is the elder sister, a woman whose ambitions focus on becoming the companion of a 'man of genius'. Marguerite is the younger sister, a girl whose sanity depends on breaking free of the oppressive expectations of society. Both end up focusing their attentions on the same disappointing man. BRIEF ENCOUNTERS: classic novellas and captivating stories, to be read in a single sitting or savoured over days

These intimate love letters reveal the open relationship between de Beauvoir and Sartre, two of the twentieth century's groundbreaking thinkers. Simone de Beauvoir lived her feminist philosophy. She never married or had children, she had affairs with both men and women, and she actively defied the norms for women of her era. At the same time, she conducted an intense, long-term relationship with the philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, whom she referred to as her husband. De Beauvoir and Sartre met as philosophy students in Paris in 1929. For over fifty years, until their deaths in the 1980s, the couple had a close open relationship. This book contains her letters to him, revealing the details of her everyday life and her passion for the man who shared her ideals. It is an intimate portrait of a woman living in an adventurous, complicated way in the name of individual freedom.

She's living a perfect life - so why does Laurence feel so torn? Weekends in the country, weekdays in Paris - Laurence's life features all the trappings of 1960s French bourgeoisie. She has money, a handsome husband, two daughters and a lover. She also has a successful career as an advertising copywriter, though her mind writes copy while she's at home, and dreams of domesticity in the office. All her life she has strived to meet the expectations of others. But when her 10-year-old daughter, Catherine, starts to vocalise her despair about the unfairness of the world, Laurence must finally grapple with a life that prizes image over truth. Slim but powerful, this is a classic story of womanhood and its oppressors, parents and their children, and the quest for personal truth - by the iconic feminist Simone de Beauvoir.

„Nechcela som byť ničím iným než sebou. A svet si na to musel zvyknúť.“ Simone de Beauvoir vo svojich Pamätiach slušného dievčaťa zachytáva krehký proces premeny dievčaťa na mysliteľku, spisovateľku, ženu, ktorá si odmieta nechať nalinajkovať život. V kulisách Paríža – mesta škôl, salónov a samoty – sa odohráva príbeh o hľadaní vlastného hlasu. Z detskej izby plnej kníh cez školské lavice až po prednáškové sály Sorbonny de Beauvoir kráča s rozumom ostrým ako britva a citom, ktorý si ešte len formuje jazyk. Rebeluje voči tichej poslušnosti, voči role určovanej matkou, spoločnosťou, históriou. Namiesto manželstva a istoty si volí neistotu myslenia – a nachádza Sartrovu prítomnosť ako odpoveď na dlhoročné volanie. Pamäti slušného dievčaťa sú nielen kronikou dozrievania, ale aj nežnou a prenikavou ódou na slobodu – intelektuálnu, ženskú, ľudskú.

„Nechcela som byť ničím iným než sebou. A svet si na to musel zvyknúť.“ Simone de Beauvoir vo svojich Pamätiach slušného dievčaťa zachytáva krehký proces premeny dievčaťa na mysliteľku, spisovateľku, ženu, ktorá si odmieta nechať nalinajkovať život. V kulisách Paríža – mesta škôl, salónov a samoty – sa odohráva príbeh o hľadaní vlastného hlasu. Z detskej izby plnej kníh cez školské lavice až po prednáškové sály Sorbonny de Beauvoir kráča s rozumom ostrým ako britva a citom, ktorý si ešte len formuje jazyk. Rebeluje voči tichej poslušnosti, voči role určovanej matkou, spoločnosťou, históriou. Namiesto manželstva a istoty si volí neistotu myslenia – a nachádza Sartrovu prítomnosť ako odpoveď na dlhoročné volanie. Pamäti slušného dievčaťa sú nielen kronikou dozrievania, ale aj nežnou a prenikavou ódou na slobodu – intelektuálnu, ženskú, ľudskú.

In 1947 Simone de Beauvoir took a road trip across America. She travelled from coast to coast, from New York to Hollywood, taking in New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Washington DC. She rode a pony through the Grand Canyon, listened to jazz in New Orleans and visited the nightclubs of Chicago. And she captured the entire experience in her journal. This captivating book is that journal and an immersive portrait of postwar America. Beauvoir was disturbed by the poverty and segregation she encountered and at the same time delighted by American energy and friendliness. Intimate, warm, and compulsively readable, this is travel writing from the iconic feminist and thinker, Simone de Beauvoir. On New York: 'I walk between the steep cliffs at the bottom of a canyon where no sun penetrates: it's permeated by a salt smell. Human history is not inscribed on these carefully calibrated buildings: They are closer to prehistoric caves than to the houses of Paris or Rome.' On Los Angeles: 'I watch the Mexican dances and eat chilli con carne, which takes the roof off my mouth, I drink the tequila and I'm utterly dazed with pleasure.'

Keď do vzťahu spisovateľky Françoise a jej partnera Pierra vstúpi mladá Xaviere, ich starostlivo vybudovaná rovnováha sa začne rúcať. Čo spočiatku vyzerá ako nevinné priateľstvo, mení sa na nebezpečnú hru túžby, moci a manipulácie. Pozvaná je intenzívnym psychologickým románom o láske, žiarlivosti a slobode, v ktorom Simone de Beauvoir skúma krehkosť ľudských vzťahov a morálne dilemy, s ktorými sa stretávame pri hľadaní vlastnej identity. Kniha, považovaná za jeden z prvých feministických románov, ponúka prenikavý pohľad na city, ktoré nás dokážu povzniesť, ale aj zničiť. Simone de Beauvoir (1908 – 1986) bola francúzska spisovateľka, filozofka a významná predstaviteľka existencializmu a feminizmu. Preslávila sa dielom Druhé pohlavie, ktoré zásadne ovplyvnilo feministické myslenie. Vo svojich románoch a esejach skúmala slobodu, vzťahy a postavenie žien v spoločnosti. Vo vydavateľstve Inaque vyšli jej knihy Zlomená žena a Nerozlučné, ktoré ponúkajú pohľad na ženské prežívanie, lásku a priateľstvo.

Keď do vzťahu spisovateľky Françoise a jej partnera Pierra vstúpi mladá Xaviere, ich starostlivo vybudovaná rovnováha sa začne rúcať. Čo spočiatku vyzerá ako nevinné priateľstvo, mení sa na nebezpečnú hru túžby, moci a manipulácie. Pozvaná je intenzívnym psychologickým románom o láske, žiarlivosti a slobode, v ktorom Simone de Beauvoir skúma krehkosť ľudských vzťahov a morálne dilemy, s ktorými sa stretávame pri hľadaní vlastnej identity. Kniha, považovaná za jeden z prvých feministických románov, ponúka prenikavý pohľad na city, ktoré nás dokážu povzniesť, ale aj zničiť.

She’s living a perfect life – so why does Laurence feel so torn? Weekends in the country, weekdays in Paris – Laurence’s life features all the trappings of 1960s French bourgeoisie. She has money, a handsome husband, two daughters and a lover. She also has a successful career as an advertising copywriter, though her mind writes copy while she’s at home, and dreams of domesticity in the office. All her life she has strived to meet the expectations of others. But when her 10-year-old daughter, Catherine, starts to vocalise her despair about the unfairness of the world, Laurence must finally grapple with a life that prizes image over truth. Slim but powerful, this is a classic story of womanhood and its oppressors, parents and their children, and the quest for personal truth – by the iconic feminist Simone de Beauvoir. TRANSLATED BY LAUREN ELKIN

Audiokniha Velice lehká smrt, kterou napsala Simone de Beauvoir. Novela z roku 1964, která vyšla česky jedinkrát v roce 1967, v mnohém překročila svou dobu. Autorka v ní líčí posledních několik týdnů života své matky.

Potent and vividly emotional, Simone de Beauvoir's captivating novel questions freedom and individual responsibility in the face of brutality 'These carefree faces, on which we allowed our smiles to spread, were for others the mask of tragedy.' Jean Blomart, patriot leader against the German forces of occupation, waits throughout an endless night for his wounded lover, Hel ne, to die. Told through memories of his and her life, The Blood of Others paints an intense and moving picture of their love story and life in German occupied Paris during the Second World War. In the face of a seemingly unstoppable force, Hel ne and Jean are confronted by the illusion of freedom and made to question their individual roles in the collective struggle against fascism, with devastating consequences. First published in 1945, this powerful novel resonates profoundly today and brings the ideas of one of the most important existentialist thinkers to life in spellbinding prose. With an Introduction by Ali Smith.

The second volume in Simone de Beauvoir’s celebrated autobiography recalls her formative years in Paris when she began to emerge as a public figure First published in 1960, The Prime of Life offers an intimate, captivating picture of Simone de Beauvoir in her twenties, thirties and forties. Beginning as a recent graduate from the Sorbonne teaching high-school girls, we see de Beauvoir revel in the freedom her new financial independence brings. We see her and Jean-Paul Sartre recognise the powerful romantic and intellectual partnership they have found in one another, as they fall in love and define their own unconventional parameters. The Second World War comes, bringing austerity, violence and questions of the reality of freedom and individual responsibility into de Beauvoir’s life. As relevant and penetrating as when first published, The Prime of Life offers rare insight into a truly fascinating mind.

The lost novel from the author of The Second Sex When Andrée joins her school, Sylvie is immediately fascinated. Andrée is small for her age, but walks with the confidence of an adult. The girls become close. They talk for hours about equality, justice, war and religion; they lose respect for their teachers; they build a world of their own. But as the girls grow into young women, the pressures of society mount, threatening everything. This novel was never published in Simone de Beauvoir's lifetime. It tells the story of the real-life friendship that shaped one of the most important thinkers and feminists of the twentieth century. VINTAGE FRENCH CLASSICS - five masterpieces of French fiction in gorgeous new gift editions.

A captivating novella about long-term relationships, getting older and how to live a good life, by the great Simone de Beauvoir. Nicole and André, a retired French couple, take a summer holiday to Russia. It is the 1960s and Russia is a beautiful, complicated place. Their guide is Macha, André's daughter from a previous relationship - a woman they both love. Adventure, inspiration, good food and good vodka are promised. Once thrilled by their romance, Nicole and André have now become too used to each other. Both harbour a growing feeling of not being fully understood - of being alone. Father and daughter engage in the grand debates of East-West relations, nationalism and socialism. But getting older, long-term relationships and how to enjoy life turn out to be the more pressing issues.

Novela z roku 1964, která vyšla česky jedinkrát v roce 1967, v mnohém překročila svou dobu. Autorka v ní líčí posledních několik týdnů života své matky. Téměř reportážní až naturalistické líčení fyzického a mentálního chátrání člověka je spojeno s bilancováním vztahu mezi matkou a dcerou. Péče, kterou se Simone snaží v posledních týdnech poskytnout své matce, je svědectvím o její lidskosti, touze přenést se přes všechno špatné, připravit jí skutečně snesitelný odchod, ale zároveň je to velké duchovní cvičení. Autorka je ledově upřímná, jako by chápala, že jen pravdivost ve vztahu k matce jí umožní vymanit se z nánosů stereotypů, rodinných falší, toxických vztahů. Vystupuje tak za všechny dcery, které řeší svou široce chápanou emancipaci, jež vykračují zpoza Stínu, které na ně matky vrhají. Zachovává si nicméně pořád něhu, láskyplnost, soucit, trpělivost, umocňované tím, jak pokračuje matčino fyzické chátrání. Pozoruhodná novela Velice lehká smrt Simone de Beauvoir promlouvá po téměř šedesáti letech možná víc než v době svého vzniku. Je nejen reportáží o posledních dnech života, zajímavou i co se technických a medicínských aspektů celého procesu týče a vývoje, k němuž v této oblasti došlo. Popisuje řadu jevů, s nimiž se ve vztazích uvnitř rodiny setkal skoro každý, bez sentimentu a falešné úcty obnažuje patologické rysy, manipulace, zákeřné stereotypy, čímž ilustruje mnohé z toho, co už dnes přece jen vešlo do širšího povědomí. To vše v literárně výjimečné, sevřené a pronikavé formě. Cílem autorky nicméně není jen bořit, neboť v centru jejího zájmu je koneckonců celou dobu člověk a jeho důstojnost. Nesmířenost se smrtí a až živočišný boj za život, vyplývající z autorčina filozofického přesvědčení, je zároveň inspirujícím bojem za svobodu v životě, nespoutanou patologiemi, které rodí společnost a mezilidské vztahy, i vztahy mezi rodiči a dětmi. Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986) byla významná francouzská spisovatelka a filozofka, autorka řady klasických děl evropské literatury a myšlení.

The lost novel from the author of The Second Sex When Andree joins her school, Sylvie is immediately fascinated. Andree is small for her age, but walks with the confidence of an adult. The girls become close. They talk for hours about equality, justice, war and religion; they lose respect for their teachers; they build a world of their own. But as the girls grow into young women, the pressures of society mount, threatening everything. This novel was never published in Simone de Beauvoir's lifetime. It tells the story of the real-life friendship that shaped one of the most important thinkers and feminists of the twentieth century.