The Inseparables
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- Author：Simone de Beauvoir
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Summary
THE RECENTLY DISCOVERED STORY OF YOUTH AND CLOSE-FRIENDSHIP FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE SECOND SEX
TRANSLATED BY LAUREN ELKIN; INTRODUCED BY DEBORAH LEVY
Told by one of the foremost feminists of the twentieth century， this is a gripping coming-of-age novel from Simone de Beauvoir， closely modelled on events of her own life。 Two young women， Sylvie and Andree， battle with their families， their religion and the deeply held conventions of society in early twentieth-century Paris。 A deep and abiding friendship sustains them in an increasingly desperate struggle to find happiness and independence。
TRANSLATED BY LAUREN ELKIN; INTRODUCED BY DEBORAH LEVY
Told by one of the foremost feminists of the twentieth century， this is a gripping coming-of-age novel from Simone de Beauvoir， closely modelled on events of her own life。 Two young women， Sylvie and Andree， battle with their families， their religion and the deeply held conventions of society in early twentieth-century Paris。 A deep and abiding friendship sustains them in an increasingly desperate struggle to find happiness and independence。
Reviews
Literary Lioness
，
At the age of nine， Sylvie met Andrée。 New to the school， Andrée was a wonder to Sylvie and quickly a friendship bloomed。 Raised within the early 1900s， societal and family influences are ingrained into their everyday lives。 Throughout the years， the girls turn toward each other as they try to make sense of it all。 A bond tightly woven; they are “inseparable”。 Loosely based on true events between Simone de Beauvoir and Elisabeth “Zaza” Lacoin， the bond these two girls shared jumps off the page。 At the age of nine， Sylvie met Andrée。 New to the school， Andrée was a wonder to Sylvie and quickly a friendship bloomed。 Raised within the early 1900s， societal and family influences are ingrained into their everyday lives。 Throughout the years， the girls turn toward each other as they try to make sense of it all。 A bond tightly woven; they are “inseparable”。 Loosely based on true events between Simone de Beauvoir and Elisabeth “Zaza” Lacoin， the bond these two girls shared jumps off the page。 Eloquently written with intense descriptions and emotion， this novel is unlike any other。 Given the time frame and the girls’ upbringing within Catholicism， there is much reference to faith and beliefs。 However， this is not a religious story as the references are in regards to the struggles and pressures the girls go through。 Hence， a rating of 5 out of 5 stars is given。A quick read detailing the importance of friendship， this is a must read for any female。Thank you to #NetGalley， #Inseparable and #Ecco for the opportunity to voluntarily review this book。 。。。more
Laura Spira
，
This is the story of an intense female friendship， set within French society in the early part of the twentieth century。 The narrator， Sylvie， meets her friend Andrée at the age of nine。 We see Andrée through her eyes and we watch the development of a close intellectual relationship as well as a firm emotional bond between the two girls。 We learn very little about Sylvie but we watch as Andrée struggles with the constraints of her family and the religious and social milieu within which she grows This is the story of an intense female friendship， set within French society in the early part of the twentieth century。 The narrator， Sylvie， meets her friend Andrée at the age of nine。 We see Andrée through her eyes and we watch the development of a close intellectual relationship as well as a firm emotional bond between the two girls。 We learn very little about Sylvie but we watch as Andrée struggles with the constraints of her family and the religious and social milieu within which she grows up and is effectively trapped。 We share Sylvie's growing concern about Andrée's mental and physical health and we watch Sylvie's increasing resentment of Andrée's mother and the man who professes to love her， both of whom she clearly blames for Andrée's fate。The foreword （by Deborah Levy）， the translator's note （by Lauren Elkins） and the afterword all site this short novel in the context of the life of Simone de Beauvoir （indeed， one might say that， as a barely fictionalised memoir， it is "inseparable" from her life） and one wonders what the people who appear in the story would have thought about the depiction of Andrée/Zaza， and of themselves。 The book reminded me a little of Elana Ferrante's Neapolitan novels， also based around an intense female friendship set within a constricted social context。 。。。more
Annarella
，
Simone de Beauvoir was a superb writer even if most of her works are not well known now。 The Mandarins and Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter are depiction of an era and of a social class。This novella is very intimate， poignant and full of emotions。 She writes about a personal experience and makes you feel what she felt。The characters are vivid， well written and impressive。I was happy to read something new and it made me think I'd like to read her other book。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publ Simone de Beauvoir was a superb writer even if most of her works are not well known now。 The Mandarins and Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter are depiction of an era and of a social class。This novella is very intimate， poignant and full of emotions。 She writes about a personal experience and makes you feel what she felt。The characters are vivid， well written and impressive。I was happy to read something new and it made me think I'd like to read her other book。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Lou
，
Written in 1954， five years after the publication of the essay The Second Sex， the autobiographical novel The Inseparables tells the story of a simple friendship and all that it can teach us。 The manuscript， a shocking and intimate story of a life-and-death friendship， was published more than half a century later by her foster daughter。 Nine-year-old Sylvie - in whose form Simone de Beauvoir painted herself as a child - attends the Adélaide Catholic Girls' School， where a new student arrives one Written in 1954， five years after the publication of the essay The Second Sex， the autobiographical novel The Inseparables tells the story of a simple friendship and all that it can teach us。 The manuscript， a shocking and intimate story of a life-and-death friendship， was published more than half a century later by her foster daughter。 Nine-year-old Sylvie - in whose form Simone de Beauvoir painted herself as a child - attends the Adélaide Catholic Girls' School， where a new student arrives one autumn day: a short， brown-haired， lively， naughty little girl， Andrée。 The two of them soon make friends， fried and cooked together。 Their teachers also call them: they are inseparable。 Sylvie is enchanted by Andrée， admiring her sharp wit， boldness， versatile talent。 You know， her girlfriend is a special creature， and she hangs on it with passionate love - the first big emotional flare of her life。 Not only do the girls resemble each other in that they grow up in an upscale， affluent family and receive a strict Catholic upbringing: they both rebel against the bony civic customs and traditions， the fate of women forced upon them。 Together， Sylvie and Andrée experience the limitations and pitfalls of their unfolding femininity and sexuality， their spiritual rebellion。 But while one of them eventually manages to gain her independence and freedom， the fate of the other takes a tragic turn。 In the novel， the author portrays her great youthful love for her friend Zaza。 Zaza's tragic death， provoked by the prejudices and injunctions that characterized the society of that time， was to haunt Simone de Beauvoir for the rest of her life。 The inseparable ones stage the sexual and intellectual awakening of two "well-behaved" and rebellious young girls in an environment that seeks to prevent them from becoming free and thinking women and lock them in the role of wife and mother in the service of society。 The text depicts with emotion and acumen the experiences that underlie the great feminist philosopher's rebellion and work - her dramatic liberation and the fundamental antagonism between the intellectuals and the right-thinking， later the basis for A Well-Behaved Young Girl's Memoirs。 The book also contains pictures of Simone de Beauvoir and Zaza growing up， as well as pictures of Zaza's friend Maurice Merleau-Ponty （Pascal Blondel in the novel） and of Simone de Beauvoir and Sartre。 It also contains authentic letters that Beauvoir and Zaza wrote to each other。 The book has an afterword by Sylvie Le Bon de Beauvoir， Simone de Beauvoir's adopted daughter。 With special sensitivity， she depicts the rigid， brittle bourgeois world that sets limits and expectations for women， the French family life of the time， and everyday life。 The volume is an exceptional literary discovery。 The Inseparables is a wonderful introduction to the youth of one of the world's most influential philosophers and a special deepening of her work ripe with exquisite turns of phrase。 It is an intense， emotionally resonant， powerful and passionate story you're unlikely to forget。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Anne O'Connell
，
When the ‘lost’ novel of Simon de Beauvoir （in reality， put in a drawer because she wasn’t satisfied with it） came up for request I jumped at the chance to read it。 Aware of her non-fiction but not having read any of it， I didn’t know she had also written fiction。 I took to The Inseparables immediately， drawn in to Sylvie and Andrée’s story。 It’s an excellent translation by Lauren Elkin， whose own book Flâneuse I highly recommend。I did have a small degree of apprehension before starting to read When the ‘lost’ novel of Simon de Beauvoir （in reality， put in a drawer because she wasn’t satisfied with it） came up for request I jumped at the chance to read it。 Aware of her non-fiction but not having read any of it， I didn’t know she had also written fiction。 I took to The Inseparables immediately， drawn in to Sylvie and Andrée’s story。 It’s an excellent translation by Lauren Elkin， whose own book Flâneuse I highly recommend。I did have a small degree of apprehension before starting to read – would this be beyond my comprehension？ I’m sure there’s plenty of signalling and nuance here that has gone over my head。 Sylvie and Andrée hold crisis talks across from a statue of the writer Alphonse Daudet; I expect he was carefully chosen although I don’t know enough to know why。 None of that detracted from the simple enjoyment of reading the story， though。 On the face of it， the title The Inseparables is obvious， but it is perhaps more wishful thinking on Sylvie’s part than reality; haven’t we all to some extent been so in thrall to someone that we attribute to them qualities they don’t really possess， imbue their ordinary words and actions with erroneous beauty and significance？ Touched by Sylvie’s vulnerability， I wanted to comfort her; but such were the strictures of time and place， she feels she can’t even take a distraught Andrée’s hand。I avoided the Introduction by Deborah Levy until after I had read the story， as it warned of spoilers。 And I won’t reveal them here。 Suffice to say that the end has all the brutality and abruptness of the denouement of La Traviata: it’s all over in a trice。 This is a short book at 176 pages but not a slight one， commanding extra interest as it draws so heavily on Beauvoir’s lived experiences。 。。。more
Alison Bradbury
，
Well what can I say about this？ I am new to Simone de Beauvoir's work but - what a writer！！！ This is the beautifully tender story of Andrée and Sylvie who fate places alongside each other at school。 These two intelligent girls soon form a firm friendship that takes them through their teens and early adulthood。 Based on the real life friendship of Simone （Sylvie） and Zaza （Andrée） this is fascinating， intriguing， touching， tender， emotional perfection。 Though the story is narrated to us by Sylvie Well what can I say about this？ I am new to Simone de Beauvoir's work but - what a writer！！！ This is the beautifully tender story of Andrée and Sylvie who fate places alongside each other at school。 These two intelligent girls soon form a firm friendship that takes them through their teens and early adulthood。 Based on the real life friendship of Simone （Sylvie） and Zaza （Andrée） this is fascinating， intriguing， touching， tender， emotional perfection。 Though the story is narrated to us by Sylvie it's central focus is Andrée and the life choices that she makes。 We cannot fail to see how Sylvie believes that Andrée is trapped by her family and how they have the capacity to bend Andrée to their will whenever they want。 It is this suffocation that drives Andrée to make some decisions that have catastrophic consequences。 I really enjoyed reading this novella。 I found the writing to be beautifully descriptive and the love that Sylvie had for Andrée was wonderfully portrayed。 You get a real sense of how highly regarded Andrée was by Sylvie and how close they were as friends。 Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Manda Nicole
，
Inseparable is a beautifully written semi-autobiographical novella written in 1954 by Simone de Beauvoir but has never been published until now。 This novella is at once hauntingly beautiful story of pure selfless love， and a sharp and witty commentary on gender roles and religion in the world she and "Andree" grew up in。 Extremely personal and strikingly intimate De Beauvoir has introduced us to "Andree" whom she met at nine years old and would admire， cherish， and love dearly for years to come; Inseparable is a beautifully written semi-autobiographical novella written in 1954 by Simone de Beauvoir but has never been published until now。 This novella is at once hauntingly beautiful story of pure selfless love， and a sharp and witty commentary on gender roles and religion in the world she and "Andree" grew up in。 Extremely personal and strikingly intimate De Beauvoir has introduced us to "Andree" whom she met at nine years old and would admire， cherish， and love dearly for years to come; who she will admire and allow to influence and help shape the woman she will grow into。 For anyone familar with De Beauvoir this novel is like coming home。One cannot simply read and observe from a distance De Beauvoirs narratives， instead we fall head first into the story， falling in love with Sylvie herself and developing our own fondness for Andree through the strength and beauty of De Beauvoir's raw and heart wrenching voice， an accomplishment that is laced throughout every story she has left us with but perhaps more so than ever with Inseparable。 It is impossible to say much more without revealing too much I fear， so you'll have to get a copy and experience it for yourselves come September。 You won't be disapointed。 Thank you to netgalley， Ecco， and of course the late and amazing Simone de Beauvoir herself for bringing this novel to light， and for gifting me an e-copy in order for me to share with you my honest opinion。 My heart is a bit larger， my faith a little stronger thanks to Inseparable。 。。。more
Rachel
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3。5 stars
Emily Davies （libraryofcalliope）
，
"For ZazaIf there are tears in my eyes tonight， is it because you are no longer alive， or because I am？ I should dedicate this story to you， but I know that you no longer exist anywhere， and my writing to you like this is pure literary artifice。 In any case， this isn’t really your story， only one inspired by us。 You were not Andrée; nor was I Sylvie， who speaks in my name。”When I heard this book was being published in English， I was so excited！ A new Simone de Beauvoir novel？ Yes， please。 It tur "For ZazaIf there are tears in my eyes tonight， is it because you are no longer alive， or because I am？ I should dedicate this story to you， but I know that you no longer exist anywhere， and my writing to you like this is pure literary artifice。 In any case， this isn’t really your story， only one inspired by us。 You were not Andrée; nor was I Sylvie， who speaks in my name。”When I heard this book was being published in English， I was so excited！ A new Simone de Beauvoir novel？ Yes， please。 It turned out to be more of a novella than a novel which was hardly a bad thing and the story it tells is brief but incredibly intimate。 Inspired by a close friend of de Beauvoir's herself， the novel follows the intense albeit uneven friendship between Sylvia and Andrée。 Despite Slyvia’s devotion to her friend， she is but a passive observer in her friend's life， waiting while Andrée suffers from heartbreak， domestic imprisonment and depression， all while loving her and trying to find her own space in the world。 The novel toys with themes de Beauvior considers elsewhere in her thought， particularly the restrictions placed on individual freedom of choice， especially regarding women。 In Andrée we have a character who feels as though she has no choice， no control over anything in her life and the narrative doesn’t disagree。 At times though it was unclear as to how much was Andrée’s dramatics and how much was real and oppressive， and that engagement with its subjects was really interesting to read and relate to。 Ultimately I wish it was longer， with more room to interrogate its characters。 I loved her novel She Came to Stay which was also inspired by real experiences， and I think if this was longer it would have more to say especially about the relationship between Sylvia and Andrée rather than the former being essentially a third wheel in her own story。 What I loved though， was the detailed extras this edition provides with both the introduction and the historical notes， exposing the real-life inspirations and the context behind the story， even providing photographs of de Beauvoir and her inspiration， Zaza。 Overall this was a great read and I will definitely be purchasing a copy when it comes out。 While it was clearly unpublished for a reason， this short book is a really subtle and earnest tribute to a friend who had a great impact on de Beauvoir。 。。。more
Antero Tienaho
，
Simone de Beauvoir on itselle （ja varmaan koko maailmalle） tutumpi filosofina kuin fiktion tekijänä。 Filosofisella kentällä hän on erottunut edukseen myös kirjallisten ansioiden avulla ja hyvin tuntuu fiktiokin sujuneen。Erottamattomat on vasta viime vuonna julkaistu pienoisromaani ja oikein mainio kuvaus ystävyydestä ja rakkaudesta。 Kertomus Sylviestä ja Andréesta on vahvasti omaelämänkerrallinen， Sylvie on Simonen alter ego ja Andréen todellisuusvastine oli tämän läheinen ystävä ja ensirakkaus， Simone de Beauvoir on itselle （ja varmaan koko maailmalle） tutumpi filosofina kuin fiktion tekijänä。 Filosofisella kentällä hän on erottunut edukseen myös kirjallisten ansioiden avulla ja hyvin tuntuu fiktiokin sujuneen。Erottamattomat on vasta viime vuonna julkaistu pienoisromaani ja oikein mainio kuvaus ystävyydestä ja rakkaudesta。 Kertomus Sylviestä ja Andréesta on vahvasti omaelämänkerrallinen， Sylvie on Simonen alter ego ja Andréen todellisuusvastine oli tämän läheinen ystävä ja ensirakkaus， Zaza。 Tarina on sinällään verrattain suoraviivainen ja ehkä tavanomainenkin， vahvuudet ovat pikemminkin siinä， miten herkästi ja tarkkanäköisesti de Beauvoir kuvaa nuoruutta， pariisilaisen porvariston elämäntapaa ja arvomaailmaa sekä aikuistumisen kynnyksen tunne-elämää。 Oman lisänsä tietysti tuo se， miten lukijana haistelee tarinassa feminismin jättiläiseksi kasvaneen ihmisen nuoruuden vaiheita ja ajattelun kehittymistä。En itse ole mitenkään ehkä erityisen kiinnostunut tämän aikalaiskuvauksesta tai muutenkaan ihmissuhteisiin keskittyneestä kirjallisuudesta， joten uskon että moni muu saa （ja onkin saanut） tästä aika paljon enemmän irti。 Olen ehkä vain saanut tarpeekseni porvarillisen elämän ahdistuksien kuvauksista。 Tämä ei ole kirjan vika， lähinnä omani。de Beauvoir kirjoittaa mainiosti， kirkkaan melankolisella äänellä。 Loppu on aavistuksen töksähtävä ja muutaman kerran mielessä häivähtää， että seisoisiko tämä omillaan ilman mielihalua tirkistellä kuuluisan filosofin nuoruuden tapahtumiin。 Ehkä seisoisi， ehkä ei。 Itse de Beauvoir päätyi olemaan julkaisematta kirjaa ja ymmärrän ratkaisun hyvin。 Toisaalta näin postuumisti tämä on historiallisestikin arvokas ja julkaisunsa ansainnut。Mainio， herkkä pieni kirja。 。。。more
James Costa
，
I absoluetly loved this book。 Sometimes when an undiscovered book comes out from a deceased author you get excited and then get disappointed。 Not with Inseparable！ I literally felt like I was transported back in time and was a third person watching the lives of Sylvie and Andree go by。 The translation is fantastic and the story is a simple one of two girls growing up figuring out who then want to be in a world that tells them what they should be。 It's a short novel but it is a powerful one。 It's I absoluetly loved this book。 Sometimes when an undiscovered book comes out from a deceased author you get excited and then get disappointed。 Not with Inseparable！ I literally felt like I was transported back in time and was a third person watching the lives of Sylvie and Andree go by。 The translation is fantastic and the story is a simple one of two girls growing up figuring out who then want to be in a world that tells them what they should be。 It's a short novel but it is a powerful one。 It's also stated that it is autobiographical based on letters from Simone。 Highly recommended。 Thanks you to Netgalley and Ecco books for the advanced copy。 。。。more
Allison Valentine
，
This is a truly beautiful story about Andrèe and Sylvie， how they met at school and how they become inseparable。 This novel is set in 1954 five years after Simone De Beauvoirs death and was never published。 Simone's daughter discovers the manuscript hidden away with photographs and has for the first time translated into English。 The novel is written with such passion and heartache。 This is a truly beautiful story about Andrèe and Sylvie， how they met at school and how they become inseparable。 This novel is set in 1954 five years after Simone De Beauvoirs death and was never published。 Simone's daughter discovers the manuscript hidden away with photographs and has for the first time translated into English。 The novel is written with such passion and heartache。 。。。more
Abigail Sanchez
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Book Review"Inseparable" by Simone De BeauvoirPub Date : 9/7/2021Thank you to Netgalley @netgalley and Harper Collins @harpercollins for this ARC。Summary:Two young girls， Andree and Sylvie， meet in school and quickly become best friends。 They are so close that everyone says they are inseparable。 Both girls are polar opposites of each other。 Sylvie didn't believe in God， Andree was a devout Catholic。 Sylvie wasn't close to her mother but Andree was close to hers。 Each girl saw life differently an Book Review"Inseparable" by Simone De BeauvoirPub Date : 9/7/2021Thank you to Netgalley @netgalley and Harper Collins @harpercollins for this ARC。Summary:Two young girls， Andree and Sylvie， meet in school and quickly become best friends。 They are so close that everyone says they are inseparable。 Both girls are polar opposites of each other。 Sylvie didn't believe in God， Andree was a devout Catholic。 Sylvie wasn't close to her mother but Andree was close to hers。 Each girl saw life differently and went different directions with their lives。 However， both them remained close friends。Review: I gave this one two stars because I honestly did not care for the characters。 I thought Andree was childish and annoying when it came to her views of the world and would have a tantrum because she was told to do something and then found a way to get out of it。 I found Sylvie extremely clingy and not want to be anywhere else except with Andree。The introduction written by Margaret Atwood stated that Simone De Beauvoir was a pioneer in the feminist movement。 It does not take long to figure out that Sylvie is the picture of feminism and Andree is the picture of someone in a traditional female role。 You can tell by the characters tone they know where they stand and what is expected of them。 Andree knows that she must obey her mother because that is what good Catholic girls do。 Sylvie decides to against the grain and finds the parties， the dinners and fancy apparel are not necessary to a fulfilling life as a woman。I am all for feminism and equality but I felt the story was extremely preachy and looked down on women who chose to live a Godly life and/or desire traditional gender roles。 Some of us like to be Andree's while others want to be the Sylvie's of the world。 This book shows you both sides and lets us know that it is up to us to decide which side we'd like to be on and it shouldn't be forced upon us。 。。。more
Catalina
，
Short and written in a rater simple language， but so emotionally charged that it kept me spellbound from the first page until the end。 Story wise， the synopsis is clear enough， and in this case you do get what the book says you'll get。 The only thing I would like to add regards the commentary about the effects of society and societal norms on women。 I understand to a certain degree this modern obsession with liberating women from the shackle of expectations both at the micro level of family and Short and written in a rater simple language， but so emotionally charged that it kept me spellbound from the first page until the end。 Story wise， the synopsis is clear enough， and in this case you do get what the book says you'll get。 The only thing I would like to add regards the commentary about the effects of society and societal norms on women。 I understand to a certain degree this modern obsession with liberating women from the shackle of expectations both at the micro level of family and the macro one of society， but I feel that looking at Andree only from this perspective is simplistic and limited。 To me Andree is a rather complex character。 She is a victim of the opposing forced battling insider her and sadly not strong enough to accept one or the other and fight for whatever or whomever she things she is。 On the one hand she wants to be the daughter her family expects her to be: dutiful and proper， but she also wants to be able to explore and experiment things that are forbidden: like loving a cousin or smoking or studding。 She wants to marry her lover but she doesn't want to wait， she wants freedom but when it's offered to her she doesn't have the strength to give up on everything she knows for it。 She was a whirlwind and I completely understand Sylvie's fascination with her childhood friends， her first love。 But at the end of the day Andree is a fictional character and I feel that so is Zaza， because when tragedy struck at such a young age everything takes on mythological proportions。 *Book from NetGalley with many thanks to the publisher。 。。。more
Michelle Petersen
，
Firstly， thank you for selecting me for an early copy of this book- although it's short， De Beauvoir manages to pack meaning into every paragraph。 Here she explores the first love of a child， drenched in fascination as they begin to comprehend human relationships， differences， and emotions。 In this case， it's De Beauvoir's own experience she describes in the guise of her first best friend， Andree， who she idolizes from the onset。I'm not very well-versed in existentialism， however， this didn't s Firstly， thank you for selecting me for an early copy of this book- although it's short， De Beauvoir manages to pack meaning into every paragraph。 Here she explores the first love of a child， drenched in fascination as they begin to comprehend human relationships， differences， and emotions。 In this case， it's De Beauvoir's own experience she describes in the guise of her first best friend， Andree， who she idolizes from the onset。I'm not very well-versed in existentialism， however， this didn't stop me from gleaning the symbolism and depth with which the harsh constraints of the orthodox background De Beauvoir experienced as she recollects her childhood in France using the pen name Sylvie。And where the death of Andree is tragic it's also indicative of the old friends who sometimes drift apart to grow into separate entities that neither recognize。 The death of Andree is the death of friendship which cannot be one-sided; the point we leave each other and become strangers。 Additionally， it is also symbolic of the rigid role her oldest friend had to play in her own family and， ultimately， her life - a role in a play that Sylvie doesn't have a part in， unwanted and spent by her affluent friend's family。Yet still， De Beauvoir writes about her lost love （who did pass in real life）， with an almost demigod status， devoid of bitterness， full of observational questions and leanings。 An almost unrequited love that's never repeated， it was a gift to be able to revisit them through De Beauvoir's words。 。。。more
Sarah
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I was intrigued to read this previously unpublished work by Simone de Beauvoir and it didn't disappoint。 Written in the first person， Sylvie， the narrator （based on the author） paints a vivid picture of her childhood friendship with Andrée。 It is this friend （based on de Beauvoir's real life friend， Zaza） who gradually becomes the protagonist and around whom the major events of the story revolve。 The storyline itself is strong but it's de Beauvoir's talent as a writer which turns it into somethi I was intrigued to read this previously unpublished work by Simone de Beauvoir and it didn't disappoint。 Written in the first person， Sylvie， the narrator （based on the author） paints a vivid picture of her childhood friendship with Andrée。 It is this friend （based on de Beauvoir's real life friend， Zaza） who gradually becomes the protagonist and around whom the major events of the story revolve。 The storyline itself is strong but it's de Beauvoir's talent as a writer which turns it into something quite outstanding。 In spite of its brevity， 'the Inseparables' offers an insight into the lives of girls and women at the time as well as issues of social class。 It forces the reader to examine more closely the nature of love and its complexities and one cannot fail to be in awe of Sylvie's selfless attitude in this respect。。 I found it unique and think it's a book with many layers， in which I'd discover something new if I were to read it again。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Geri
，
The Inseparables are Sylvie and Andree ， the pseudonyms for Simone de Beauvoir and her very close friend Elizabeth Lacoin （Zaza）。 They are given the name of the inseparables at school where they met aged 9 and were firm friends until Zaza's early death from meningitis at the age of 21。I first encountered de Beauvoir's writings at university in the early 1970s as part of the women's liberation movement。 I devoured Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter， The Mandarins， She Came to Stay and The Second Sex。 The Inseparables are Sylvie and Andree ， the pseudonyms for Simone de Beauvoir and her very close friend Elizabeth Lacoin （Zaza）。 They are given the name of the inseparables at school where they met aged 9 and were firm friends until Zaza's early death from meningitis at the age of 21。I first encountered de Beauvoir's writings at university in the early 1970s as part of the women's liberation movement。 I devoured Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter， The Mandarins， She Came to Stay and The Second Sex。 So I was very excited to read that there was a new previously unpublished novel from de Beauvoir。 On reading it I realised that while the philosophy and lessons from The Second Sex had stayed with me over the almost 50 year gap since first reading， I had forgotten most of her previous fiction and autobiography。 I did not remember Zaza whose friendship had such an influence on the author。 The novella is written very much from the perspective of Sylvie's view of Andree: her life; her family; her thoughts and actions。 It does read very well as a piece of fictionalised autobiography and I was surprised to realise that it had been written when de Beauvoir was in her mid-40s， about 25 years after Zaza's death。 Their friendship is described in a very immediate fashion and this reflects the fact that apparently de Beauvoir would dream about Zaza for the rest of her life。 I certainly enjoyed reading this book and it has encouraged me to return to Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter。 The book is enhanced by an Introduction by Deborah Levy， an Afterword from Sylvie Le Bon de Beauvoir （the author's adopted daughter）， notes from the translator Lauren Elkin about the language chosen by de Beauvoir and archive material including photographs and letters。 Without these I do not think I would have found the book as interesting as I did and would have been left feeling there was something lacking from the works which had so inspired me in the 1970s。Thank you to the publisher via Net Galley for a complimentary ARC of this book in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Cecília
，
um réquiem simultaneamente calado e retumbante。。。
Javiera
，
me iluminó y me rompió el corazón
Judith
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“Inseparable” is the posthumously published semi-autobiographical novel detailing the close relationship Simone de Beauvoir had with her childhood friend， “Zaza”， （here represented by “Andrée，”） who died in her early twenties。 The story takes place from the last years of World War I through the 1920s。 The story revolves around Andrée’s conflict between her free and independent spirit and her strict Roman Catholic upbringing。 Throughout her short life she battles with her feelings of guilt brough “Inseparable” is the posthumously published semi-autobiographical novel detailing the close relationship Simone de Beauvoir had with her childhood friend， “Zaza”， （here represented by “Andrée，”） who died in her early twenties。 The story takes place from the last years of World War I through the 1920s。 The story revolves around Andrée’s conflict between her free and independent spirit and her strict Roman Catholic upbringing。 Throughout her short life she battles with her feelings of guilt brought on by these conflicts。 An underlying message appears to be that her overwhelming feelings of guilt led to her untimely death。This novel appears to be an attempt by the author to come to terms with her grief over the loss of her childhood friend。 The imagery and feelings expressed in the novel clearly conveys the author’s grief and desolation over the loss of her friend。 Although the author’s description of the girls’ relationship was interesting， I particularly liked the way the author portrayed a snapshot in time of life in an upper middle class French family during the interwar years。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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What a lovely novel this is！ Simone and Andree meet as girls and as they mature find that their relationship changes as well。 The challenges they face in immediate post WWI France transcend time。 Know that it's her early work and perhaps less polished than some of her more mature writing。 That doesn't mean it's any less affecting。 Fans of de Beauvoir will be pleased and hopefully new readers will explore her other works。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 These themes are eternal。 What a lovely novel this is！ Simone and Andree meet as girls and as they mature find that their relationship changes as well。 The challenges they face in immediate post WWI France transcend time。 Know that it's her early work and perhaps less polished than some of her more mature writing。 That doesn't mean it's any less affecting。 Fans of de Beauvoir will be pleased and hopefully new readers will explore her other works。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 These themes are eternal。 。。。more
Kelly
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Inseparable is a fictionalized tale of Simone de Beauvoir and Zaza， her closest friend during childhood and as a young adult。 While I haven’t read any of de Beauvoir’s other works， I can easily recognize the beauty with which she writes – atmospheric and conveying so many emotions and their complications in an understated manner。 This makes the reader feel like they are experiencing the relationship Sylvie has with Andree， rather than being told what to see。 Andree has in many ways been rendered Inseparable is a fictionalized tale of Simone de Beauvoir and Zaza， her closest friend during childhood and as a young adult。 While I haven’t read any of de Beauvoir’s other works， I can easily recognize the beauty with which she writes – atmospheric and conveying so many emotions and their complications in an understated manner。 This makes the reader feel like they are experiencing the relationship Sylvie has with Andree， rather than being told what to see。 Andree has in many ways been rendered fragile by her family， their religion and their place in society。 She longs to be free to do as she wishes， to experience solitude， to not feel the contradiction of her faith， and so she is constantly both dynamic and unhappy。 It seems in many ways， this is what draws Sylvie to her。 Sylvie’s life is relatively free of drama and expectations and how can she not feel needed when her dearest friend provides the drama， emotions and excitement that do not exist for her in such a turbulent state？ Is it not nice to feel needed， to be called upon to listen to another person’s woes？ With Andree’s need to unload her woes and Sylvie’s need to feel wanted the pair form a bond， that while not always equal， compels them to seek each other out for completion over the years that they know each other。 This story is short but powerful and atmospheric， and in some ways even though I was fascinated by the characters， I was also exhausted by them。 Both Andree and Sylvia need so much， and following along with their friendship seems to be watching self-destruction in action。 。。。more
luce
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“She had appeared so glorious to me that I had assumed she had everything she wanted。 I wanted to cry for her， and for myself。” Superbly written The Inseparables is a novella that pairs an enthralling depiction of female friendship with a razor-sharp commentary on gender and religion。 This is the kind of work of fiction that reads like real life， unsurprising perhaps given that Beauvoir created Sylvie and Andrée after herself and her real-life friend Zaza Lacoin。Written in a controlled and polis “She had appeared so glorious to me that I had assumed she had everything she wanted。 I wanted to cry for her， and for myself。” Superbly written The Inseparables is a novella that pairs an enthralling depiction of female friendship with a razor-sharp commentary on gender and religion。 This is the kind of work of fiction that reads like real life， unsurprising perhaps given that Beauvoir created Sylvie and Andrée after herself and her real-life friend Zaza Lacoin。Written in a controlled and polished style The Inseparables presents us with a beguiling tale in which Sylvie， our narrator， recounts the enigmatic nature of her bond with Andrée。 The two first meet as young girls while enrolled at a private Catholic school and， in spite of the divergence between their religious beliefs， they become， as the title itself suggests， inseparable。 Due to the conventions of their time and society—the French bourgeois of the early 20th cent。—they cannot be too close and so have to refrain from being too intimate with one another， for example by addressing each other with the formal you。Still， they keep up a correspondence and talk at length to each other， earning themselves the disapproval of Andrée’s mother who frowns upon their， God forbid， long and possibly intimate conversations。Sylvie is fascinated by Andrée， in particular， she seems hyperaware， intrigued even， by her self-divide。 On the one hand Andrée， a devout Catholic， expresses conservative ideas and opinions， which make her appear particularly naive。 On the other Andrée possesses a clever mind and a propensity for expressing surprisingly subversive thoughts。 Andrée is a magnetic individual who oscillates between irreverence and conformity。 Sylvie， who did not grow up to be a staunchly religious individual （apropos， in a diary entry beauvoir wrote: "i have no other god but myself"）， cannot always reconcile herself to Andrée’s way of thinking and struggles to understand the loyalty that Andrée has for her family， which Sylvie herself views as suffocating。As the two grow up we see how Andrée continues to struggle with understanding her own emotions， trying and failing to contain her fiercer self。 We also see how her mother’s constant reprimand have affected her self-worth and distorted her view of herself。 When she falls for Pascal， a puritanical young man who seriously considered being a priest， Andrée’s resolve to lead the kind of life that her family， as well as her society， is tested。 She desperately wants to escape her present circumstances but this desperation ultimately results in self-sabotage。 We witness her unravelling through Sylvie’s eyes， who， as much as she yearns to be of help， cannot ultimately save her。Beauviour’s piercing commentary on gender， class， and religion was profoundly insightful。 She addresses these things with clarity and exactness， illustrating how fatal oppression and repression are on a person’s psyche。 What I found particularly touching， and relatable， in this novel was the unrequited nature of Sylve’s love for Andrée。 Regardless of whether the love she feels for Andrée is a platonic one or a romantic one， we know that Andrée doesn’t feel the same passion for Sylve。 Whether she’s unwilling or unable to reciprocate the iSylve’s feelings， we do not know for certain， however， we can see how deeply this realization cuts Sylvie。 Sylvie is shown to be both jealous and resentful of Andrée’s family， holding them responsible for her friend’s unhappiness。 This novella’s subject did bring to mind Fleur Jaeggy’s Sweet Days of Discipline， which also explores an intense female friendship， Dorothy Strachey’s Olivia（which is far more flowery and sentimental than this but also capture a youth’s unrequited love and longing for another） as well as novel such as Abigail and Frost In May （which are both set in all-girl schools and touch on female friendships and religion）。 While Sylvie is both attuned and attentive to Andrée， her moods and beliefs， she does， like we all tend to do， idealise her given that she is her object of desire （whether this is desire is platonic or sexual， it's up to the reader to decide， i， to no one's surprise， felt that it was the latter）。This was a riveting read。 The prose is sublime， the story an equal parts evocative and tragic exploration of young & unrequited love， heartache， independence， kinship and intimacy。I will say that as much as I loved this I couldn’t help but the publisher’s short bio of Beauvoir， as well as Levy’s and the translator’s mentions of her， felt very incomplete。 As far as I can recall they all omit to mention Beauvoir’s more ‘unethical’ behaviour。 As a teacher， she had ‘relationships’ with her underage pupils and went on to sign a petition seeking to abrogate the age of consent in France （because of course age is just a number！）。 Here you might argue that those things have nothing to do with this novella or her friendship with Zaza （discussed by both Levy and the translator）。 But I maintain that they do。 You can’t just mention the fact that she’s a feminist and try to analyse her real-life friendship with another woman or her commentary on female sexuality while at the same time omitting that in her lifetime she （'allegedly'） groomed her underage female students and seemed in favour of pedophilia。 That she did those things did not detract from my reading experience however it certainly made me a little bit more critical of our narrator's obsession towards her friend。 Some of my favourite quotes:“Secretly I thought to myself that Andrée was one of those prodigies about whom， later on， books would be written。” “No， our friendship was not as important to Andrée as it was to me， but I admired her too much to suffer from it。” “What would I have daydreamed about？ I loved Andrée above all else， and she was right next to me。” “I thought to myself， distressed， that in books there are people who make declarations of love， or hate， who dare to say whatever comes into their mind， or heart—why is it so impossible to do the same thing in real life？” “The errors I admitted were those of the soul above all: I had lacked fervour， too long forsaken the divine presence， prayed inattentively， regarded myself too complacently。” “Andrée was unhappy and the idea of it was unbearable。 But her unhappiness was so foreign to me; the kind of love where your kiss had no truth from me。” “Never。 The word had never fallen with such weight upon my heart。 I repeated it within myself， under the never-ending sky， and I wanted to cry。 ” “No doubt she loved Andrée in her way， but what way was that？ That was the question。 We all loved her， only differently。 ” “Happiness suits her so well， I thought。” ““Don’t be sad，” she said。 “In every family there’s a bit of rubbish。 I was the rubbish。” “For Andrée， there was a passageway between the heart and the body that remained a mystery to me。 ” ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Prerazmišljavanje
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Uh
Lizzie
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I have never read any of Simone de Beauvoir’s fiction before - I admit I haven’t read much of her non-fiction either - but this beautiful novella has me itching for more。In The Inseparables， we follow two friends， Andrée and Sylvie， through their childhood and early adulthood。 The story is semi-autobiographical， based heavily on Beauvoir’s own friendship with her childhood friend Zaza。 It was clearly a very formative friendship for her on a number of levels， ending prematurely with Zaza’s tragic I have never read any of Simone de Beauvoir’s fiction before - I admit I haven’t read much of her non-fiction either - but this beautiful novella has me itching for more。In The Inseparables， we follow two friends， Andrée and Sylvie， through their childhood and early adulthood。 The story is semi-autobiographical， based heavily on Beauvoir’s own friendship with her childhood friend Zaza。 It was clearly a very formative friendship for her on a number of levels， ending prematurely with Zaza’s tragic death。Find this and more reviews on my blog！It’s impossible to separate the truth from fiction in this story。 Having never been published in the author’s lifetime， there is a sense that writing this story was an emotional， cathartic process， as she attempted to put into words what this friendship meant to her。 Andrée’s pain and Sylvie’s yearning feel so vivid and real， you can’t help but feel your heart go out to them。 It’s also worth mentioning the translator， Lauren Elkin， who not only did a fantastic job of conveying the emotion of the original text （not that I can do a direct comparison） but also wrote a fascinating foreword explaining not only some of the decisions she made in translating the text but also highlighting some details that couldn’t be carried over into English。 Both the foreword and the afterword， which gives us an insight into the biographical elements of the story， really added to the reading experience and made me appreciate it all the more。Whether you’re a lifelong fan of Simone de Beauvoir， or if like me you haven’t yet read many of her books， this book is a gem of a must-read。 Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free copy for review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Jazmín🍂
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nunca leí una biografía narrada de una manera tan única y con un mensaje tan meticulosamente extraído de la típica línea temporal principal。 la mirada que Sylvie tiene de Andree le da una esencia romántica súper peculiar que termina tiñendo toda la historia con un sentimiento difícil de explorar pero que Simone explica en las palabras más acertadas， lo cual hace que el lector reciba otra visión completamente distinta de la que se percibe al comienzo del libro。10/10
Ricky Stupar
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This book was wonderful， so wonderful I finished it in four day。 I rated this book 4 stars out of 5。 The reason for this was for the region part of it。 The book took place in the 20’s and I really don’t agree with their religious beliefs。 But all in all this book was so wonderful with an unexpected ending。 I personally feel that even though Andree and Sylvie were best friends they were secrecy lovers as well; but due to religious view and family they had to hide it。 I would definitely recommend This book was wonderful， so wonderful I finished it in four day。 I rated this book 4 stars out of 5。 The reason for this was for the region part of it。 The book took place in the 20’s and I really don’t agree with their religious beliefs。 But all in all this book was so wonderful with an unexpected ending。 I personally feel that even though Andree and Sylvie were best friends they were secrecy lovers as well; but due to religious view and family they had to hide it。 I would definitely recommend this ebook because it’s a beautiful story， but also heart breaking。 The author （s） did a wonderful job at this book。 I love the letter at the end of the book as well and the deeper explanations at the end too。 Great job 。。。more
Amy
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A beautifully written short novel about two friends， one of which life was cut short。 Published after her death， this novel by Simone de Beauvior is full of life and friendship。 A quick read。
Trisha
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A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley。 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book。
Tony S
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This is a very short story though story is probably not the right word as it is based on real events of the authors life。 I was totally swept away by the story and was enthralled by the characters and descriptions within the book。 The relationship between the two main characters is portrayed as well as any classic novel ever has and it could be set in any time period and would stand up against the likes of Dickens or Bronte。This really is a great piece of literary work and I can not recommend it This is a very short story though story is probably not the right word as it is based on real events of the authors life。 I was totally swept away by the story and was enthralled by the characters and descriptions within the book。 The relationship between the two main characters is portrayed as well as any classic novel ever has and it could be set in any time period and would stand up against the likes of Dickens or Bronte。This really is a great piece of literary work and I can not recommend it highly enough。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Inseparables
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Inseparables&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Inseparables&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0