At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails
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- Create Date：2021-04-27 08:58:10
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Sarah Bakewell
- ISBN：0099554887
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Summary
Paris， near the turn of 1932-3。 Three young friends meet over apricot cocktails at the Bec-de-Gaz bar on the rue Montparnasse。 They are Jean-Paul Sartre， Simone de Beauvoir and their friend Raymond Aron， who opens their eyes to a radical new way of thinking…
‘It’s not often that you miss your bus stop because you’re so engrossed in reading a book about existentialism， but I did exactly that。。。 The story of Sartre， Beauvoir， Camus， Heidegger et al is strange， fun and compelling reading。 If it doesn’t win awards， I will eat my copy’
Independent on Sunday
‘Quirky， funny， clear and passionate… Few writers are as good as Bakewell at explaining complicated ideas in a way that makes them easy to understand’
Mail on Sunday
‘Bakewell shows how fascinating were some of the existentialists’ ideas and how fascinating， often frightful， were their lives。 Vivid， humorous anecdotes are interwoven with a lucid and unpatronising exposition of their complex philosophy… Tender， incisive and fair’
Daily Telegraph
‘It’s not often that you miss your bus stop because you’re so engrossed in reading a book about existentialism， but I did exactly that。。。 The story of Sartre， Beauvoir， Camus， Heidegger et al is strange， fun and compelling reading。 If it doesn’t win awards， I will eat my copy’
Independent on Sunday
‘Quirky， funny， clear and passionate… Few writers are as good as Bakewell at explaining complicated ideas in a way that makes them easy to understand’
Mail on Sunday
‘Bakewell shows how fascinating were some of the existentialists’ ideas and how fascinating， often frightful， were their lives。 Vivid， humorous anecdotes are interwoven with a lucid and unpatronising exposition of their complex philosophy… Tender， incisive and fair’
Daily Telegraph
Reviews
Cheenu
，
Gives a nice overview of all the major existentialist philosophers of the 20st century and the different flavours of existentialism espoused by them。
Arvind Balasundaram
，
A sweeping， brilliant survey of existential thought as a lived philosophy by its most well known exponents。 Addressing the different perspectives each of the personas brought to the interpretation of being， and its resultant implications for how they viewed freedom， the author weaves a narrative that focuses as much on the history of its personas as the times in which they lived。 This led to early friendships among them that later soured into bitter rivalries， based on political and other positi A sweeping， brilliant survey of existential thought as a lived philosophy by its most well known exponents。 Addressing the different perspectives each of the personas brought to the interpretation of being， and its resultant implications for how they viewed freedom， the author weaves a narrative that focuses as much on the history of its personas as the times in which they lived。 This led to early friendships among them that later soured into bitter rivalries， based on political and other positions that were incompatible with the interpretation each of them took。 This book is worth reading many times over。。。。 。。。more
Hadi Rasool
，
"على مقهى الوجودية" لمؤلفته البريطانية سارة بِكويل و ترجمة حسام نايل من إصدارات دار التنوير。أشبه بسيرة تاريخية للفلاسفة الوجوديين الذين أثروا الفكر الفلسفي و الأدبي في القرن العشرين في أوروبا。فلاسفة مثل: سارتر ، سيمون دي بوفوار، هيدجر، هوسرل،كامو و آخرون。تبدو سيرة تمرّد على الثقافة السائدة آن ذاك، مع تفاعلاتها الثقافية، و ظهور مصطلح الفينومينولوجيا。ذهبت المؤلفة بكويل للكتابة السيرية، في كتابة هذه السيرة الفكرية و ما ساوقها من سياقات سياسية و اجتماعية و ثقافية فكرية مؤثرة في سياق الحركة الوجودية، "على مقهى الوجودية" لمؤلفته البريطانية سارة بِكويل و ترجمة حسام نايل من إصدارات دار التنوير。أشبه بسيرة تاريخية للفلاسفة الوجوديين الذين أثروا الفكر الفلسفي و الأدبي في القرن العشرين في أوروبا。فلاسفة مثل: سارتر ، سيمون دي بوفوار، هيدجر، هوسرل،كامو و آخرون。تبدو سيرة تمرّد على الثقافة السائدة آن ذاك، مع تفاعلاتها الثقافية، و ظهور مصطلح الفينومينولوجيا。ذهبت المؤلفة بكويل للكتابة السيرية، في كتابة هذه السيرة الفكرية و ما ساوقها من سياقات سياسية و اجتماعية و ثقافية فكرية مؤثرة في سياق الحركة الوجودية، إلا أني آخذ على بكويل الحشو و الإسهاب في تفاصيل و تفرعات تبدو في تقديري كقارئ ليست ضرورية أفقدت الكتاب المتعة و الدهشة التي حرّض عليهما عنوان الكتاب بكلمتي "ممتع" و "مدهش"و بدى الكتاب عرض سيري مُسهَب أكثر من كونه ولوج عميق للمفاهيم التي أسست و صاغت الحركة الوجودية。 。。。more
Lorna
，
More biography than philosophy this is nevertheless a good read。 There are many great bibliographical tip-offs - for example E M Forster's The Machine Stops。 I was left wanting to read more existentialist writings - especially Simone De Beauvoir and Iris Murdoch。 Regretfully there is very little café for those reading in 2021。 More biography than philosophy this is nevertheless a good read。 There are many great bibliographical tip-offs - for example E M Forster's The Machine Stops。 I was left wanting to read more existentialist writings - especially Simone De Beauvoir and Iris Murdoch。 Regretfully there is very little café for those reading in 2021。 。。。more
Mitchell Chatfield
，
Reminders to be filled in: the role of biography or biographical context。 Looking at Sartre， Heidegger， husserl， Camus， merleau-ponty and others
Gabrielle
，
Early in this fantastic introduction to existentialism/historical biography of it’s most prominent thinkers， Bakewell mentions that for a while， existentialism had fallen out of fashion with academics。 This gave me pause。 I struggled to remember if one of our many philosophy professors had covered the existentialists when my bestie and I were in college – I couldn’t remember any of them every mentioning it。 I checked with her， because she is my second brain， and she confirmed that I am not senil Early in this fantastic introduction to existentialism/historical biography of it’s most prominent thinkers， Bakewell mentions that for a while， existentialism had fallen out of fashion with academics。 This gave me pause。 I struggled to remember if one of our many philosophy professors had covered the existentialists when my bestie and I were in college – I couldn’t remember any of them every mentioning it。 I checked with her， because she is my second brain， and she confirmed that I am not senile， and that over the course of our 2-year Liberal Arts degree， the entire existentialist movement had been gracefully glossed over by the faculty。 Before I fell in love with Simone de Beauvoir a couple of years ago （https://www。goodreads。com/review/show。。。）， all I had ever known about her， Sartre and Camus had been learned pillaging my mother’s library， and not at all from an academic context。 But I found myself agreeing wholeheartedly with Bakewell: while the existentialists were put on the shelf for a while， I find their history and their thinking more relevant than ever， and well-worth exploring – or re-exploring！“At the Existentialist Café” is one of those fantastic non-fiction book that is so well-written that it proves hard to put down， that explains complicated events and ways of thinking in simple terms yet does not talk down to the reader who may not be a phenomenology expert， and where the obvious love the author has for her subject does not make her forget it's darker facets。Most people know the names of Jean-Paul Sartre， Simone de Beauvoir， Maurice Merleau-Pointy and Martin Heiddeger， but not much about their lives， their ideas and their impact on culture。 Sarah Bakewell discovered Sartre’s fiction as a teenager， and has clearly never fallen out of love with existentialism。 With wit and compassion， she puts the philosophers in their social and historical context to illustrate how they came to develop their philosophy and how the course of history， especially World War II， influenced their thinking and their work。 The biographies are not deep dives， but go a long way to make the work easier to relate to and make sense of。Bakewell is also quite honest about her subjects’ ambiguities， contradictions and struggles to apply their philosophic principles to their lives as honestly as possible – which obviously opened the doors to may conflicts， fights and serious falling outs between them。 But as she points out herself， people are often more interesting than idea， and these people were exceptionally interesting， partially because of their flaws。As mentioned previously， I think that Bakewell is right to argue that the existentialists’ emphasis of authenticity and freedom are issues that concern us now more than ever， in the hyper-connected yet bizarrely shallow world we live in。 But I also understand how mis-understandings and clichés have been factors that put the entire movement out of fashion in the 1990s and early 2000s。 I feel like those years were less cynical， less morally confusing and less dangerous than the point we are at now， and that it must have felt like a bummer to think about being in bad faith and being responsible for one’s existence at a point where we were just excited about the new millennium。To me， this is a fascinating subject， and I find significant overlaps between existentialism and many aspects of Zen Buddhism （both of which can be described as philosophies of action）， and also with the ideas behind what one might call "punk philosophy" （https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=p0w4O。。。）。Reading this made me shift “Nausea”， “The Mandarins” and “The Second Sex” a little closer to the top of my pile， and appreciate the Beauvoir and Camus books I’ve gobbled up over the past few years even more。 If you have ever felt hazy about what existentialism is about， or if you are simply interested in the lives of Beauvoir， Sartre and their colleagues， I can’t recommend this book enough。 。。。more
edvards
，
Lasot šo grāmatu sajutos it kā aplūkojot senu foto albumu un atceroties tālu， bet piedzīvojumiem un pārdomām pilnu pagātni。
Magnus Hole
，
A brief yet enjoyable overview of 20th century existentialism， with a focus on the most prominent thinkers who pioneered that philosophy。 Sarah Bakewell writes with fluidity and enthusiasm， as well as an attention to context and detail that seems fitting considering the subject matter。 The thoughts and ideas that that define existentialism are presented simply and easily， and I do not think that any prior understanding of the subject would be required。 The book is nicely balanced between biograp A brief yet enjoyable overview of 20th century existentialism， with a focus on the most prominent thinkers who pioneered that philosophy。 Sarah Bakewell writes with fluidity and enthusiasm， as well as an attention to context and detail that seems fitting considering the subject matter。 The thoughts and ideas that that define existentialism are presented simply and easily， and I do not think that any prior understanding of the subject would be required。 The book is nicely balanced between biography and philosophy， and is most successful when it is both at the same time。 It is relatively short given the breadth of the topic， but impressively thorough。 It would have been nice to see further engagement with the philosophical context in which existentialism flourished; very little mention is made of the 19th century thinkers who inspired it， even though philosophers such as Nietzche， Kierkegaard or even Schopenhauer could arguably have been more influential on existential development than the phenomenologists did （to whom a considerable portion of the book is dedicated）。 Likewise， some mention of the philosophies that were inspired by， rejected or developed alongside existentialism could have been added （there is no mention of structuralists such as Foucault or Derrida， even though many of them would have been associates or even friends of the philosophers covered in the book）。 However， I recognise that such additional context， although it may have been helpful for some， is outside the scope of what is less a complex history than a short， delightfully prosaic and well-written summary。 It succeeds admirably at this goal。 。。。more
Kavana Anklekar
，
I loved this book， I could run down the streets screaming my love for it。
Cynthia James
，
Perhaps the most enjoyable and most satisfying book I've read so far in 2021， that I felt almost sad when I finished reading it。 It's part biographical， part historical， and part commentary on the popular ideas of existentialism and phenomenology。 It brings readers up-close and personal with the two collosi - Jean Paul Sartre and Martin Heidegger - and the people around them who have influenced and been influenced by their ideas， most notably Simone de Beauvoir， Maurice Merleau-Ponty， Edmund Hus Perhaps the most enjoyable and most satisfying book I've read so far in 2021， that I felt almost sad when I finished reading it。 It's part biographical， part historical， and part commentary on the popular ideas of existentialism and phenomenology。 It brings readers up-close and personal with the two collosi - Jean Paul Sartre and Martin Heidegger - and the people around them who have influenced and been influenced by their ideas， most notably Simone de Beauvoir， Maurice Merleau-Ponty， Edmund Husserl， Albert Camus， etc。 Bakewell writes intelligently， yet she's also funny and entertaining and sensitive and honest。 The book makes me see Sartre in a new light， admire Beauvoir even more， fall in love with Merleau-Ponty， have a newfound respect for Camus， and less judgmental towards Heidegger。 It also makes me want to dig deeper into the ideas of philosophers who don't receive as much coverage in the book， like Gabriel Marcel （I'm especially interested in his existentialism + God ideas）， Hannah Arendt （she's the coolest ever）， Edith Stein （the Jewish phenomenologist who used to work with Husserl （she wrote a PhD thesis on empathy！） before converting to Catholicism and becoming a nun but was later incarcerated by Hitler's regime and killed in Auschwitz， canonised by the Catholic church - gosh， what's not to like？）， and some of the 'proto-existentialists' like Soren Kierkegaard and Fyodor Dostoyevsky。 And I'll definitely be checking out Sarah Bakewell's other books。 。。。more
Yumi
，
最讓我觸動的是薩特，波伏瓦，和加繆他們在戰爭前中後的惶惑難安和堅定的日常抵抗，somehow 映照了我如今的心境。Resist in daily life。
Maciek Walas
，
This was one of the few books in my life that I couldn’t actually resist reading。 It was the first thing I grabbed when I woke up， and the last thing I’ve had beside me when I was falling asleep。 I wasn’t rushing it though。 I wanted to read it carefully and systematically。 It gave me a lot。A lot of knowledge。 A lot of thinking。 A lot of reasons to admire the people who are already among the most important philosophers to me。 The history and narrative of the book fluently guides you through the s This was one of the few books in my life that I couldn’t actually resist reading。 It was the first thing I grabbed when I woke up， and the last thing I’ve had beside me when I was falling asleep。 I wasn’t rushing it though。 I wanted to read it carefully and systematically。 It gave me a lot。A lot of knowledge。 A lot of thinking。 A lot of reasons to admire the people who are already among the most important philosophers to me。 The history and narrative of the book fluently guides you through the story of the main existentialists and phenomenologists。 You engage in discussions， you pick sides， you hate Sartre or hate Merleau-Ponty。 The book keeps you engaged which helps remembering all the raw knowledge contained in it。 As the story progresses chronologically， we are slowly exposed to new ideas， new heroes and new historical realities。 The amount of insight on WW2 was unexpected but welcome， because after reading 15 Pages about France under occupation and Resistance’s doings during the years， you understand the thought process behind some existentialists a lot better。 I learned quite a lot about the history of ww2 but it never bothered me when reading the book。Last but not least， if you’re not already familiar with everyone in this book， you will get a lot of knowledge out of it and you will easily find someone that you like。 This book will help you decide which existentialist you’re most likely to side with， who will be the most readable to you。 It’s a great introduction to the philosophy because it gives a neccessary base and backstories on all the turtlenecked-cig-smoking motherfuckers。 。。。more
Şengül Aydin
，
Varoluşçuluğa giriş niteliğinde varoluşçu filozofları， esinleri， hayat yolculukları， kişilikleri， düşünceleri ve birbiri arasındaki ilişkileri， arkadaşlıkları （arka plana Avrupa’daki savaş öncesi， süresi ve sonrasındaki hayatı alarak） anlatan bir kitap。 Bu kitabı okurken okunacak bir sürü kitabın listesi çıkıyor aynı zamanda。 O dönem tarihi üzerindeki kronolojik ve düşünsel bilgileri hatırlama veya yeni bilgiler öğrenme fırsatı da doğuruyor。 Kitabın sonunda mutlu bir yüz ifadesi ile « C’est la v Varoluşçuluğa giriş niteliğinde varoluşçu filozofları， esinleri， hayat yolculukları， kişilikleri， düşünceleri ve birbiri arasındaki ilişkileri， arkadaşlıkları （arka plana Avrupa’daki savaş öncesi， süresi ve sonrasındaki hayatı alarak） anlatan bir kitap。 Bu kitabı okurken okunacak bir sürü kitabın listesi çıkıyor aynı zamanda。 O dönem tarihi üzerindeki kronolojik ve düşünsel bilgileri hatırlama veya yeni bilgiler öğrenme fırsatı da doğuruyor。 Kitabın sonunda mutlu bir yüz ifadesi ile « C’est la vie » diyerek bir müddet oturup düşündüm。 。。。more
Nicole Palomar
，
I was prepared to handle this book with a bit more seriousness， at least perhaps with a little more cerebral intensity compared to my last few reads （mostly fiction novels）。 I was surprised to have been dramatically pulled into the storied lives of these philosophers and their ideas as if I was reading a fiction novel。 I think that’s a true credit to Sarah Bakewell’s brilliant construction and writing， interweaving history and biography while using it as a backdrop to present phenomenology and e I was prepared to handle this book with a bit more seriousness， at least perhaps with a little more cerebral intensity compared to my last few reads （mostly fiction novels）。 I was surprised to have been dramatically pulled into the storied lives of these philosophers and their ideas as if I was reading a fiction novel。 I think that’s a true credit to Sarah Bakewell’s brilliant construction and writing， interweaving history and biography while using it as a backdrop to present phenomenology and existentialism ranging from basic human notions to galaxy-brain ideas that these philosophers mused and submitted with forceful intention。I am by far no scholar on the subject， but a casual reader who often find philosophy books difficult to digest。 Though still dense with ideas that demand rumination， this book was just set at the right pitch and pace， allowing me to learn more about the main cast and their ideas with relative ease， which all the more made it enjoyable。 I would recommend to others who like to dip their toes in philosophy every now and then: 4。5/5。 。。。more
Joseph Godoy
，
I think this book did a good job of capturing the historical landscape of French existentialism， but it seemed more interested in the drama and personal lives of notable philosophers than on the contents of their work。
Safa' Dalal
，
"اعتراه خوف ولكنه وجد عزاء شاذا كلما تطلع إلى السماء، فاتحا نفسه على لامبالاة العالم الحنونة。"رافقني الكتاب فترة لا بأس بها، كان فيها الكثير من التقلبات الوجودية والأزمات النفسية، قررت الكثير وتراجعت وتساءلت كثيرا وتراجعت أيضا، وكان عزائي أن هناك من يشاطرني الأزمات الوجودية بأصدق صورها منذ زمن بعيد。 وأن كلنا يعاني ما يكفيه من الأزمات ويزيد، ولا أعلم صدقا كيف يمكن لعمومية الأزمات أن تكون عزاءً لأحد، ولكن على ما يبدو هذا جزء من الكينونة البشرية البائسة。 "كما لو أن كل واحد منا يتكتم في قوقعة تصلبه "اعتراه خوف ولكنه وجد عزاء شاذا كلما تطلع إلى السماء، فاتحا نفسه على لامبالاة العالم الحنونة。"رافقني الكتاب فترة لا بأس بها، كان فيها الكثير من التقلبات الوجودية والأزمات النفسية، قررت الكثير وتراجعت وتساءلت كثيرا وتراجعت أيضا، وكان عزائي أن هناك من يشاطرني الأزمات الوجودية بأصدق صورها منذ زمن بعيد。 وأن كلنا يعاني ما يكفيه من الأزمات ويزيد، ولا أعلم صدقا كيف يمكن لعمومية الأزمات أن تكون عزاءً لأحد، ولكن على ما يبدو هذا جزء من الكينونة البشرية البائسة。 "كما لو أن كل واحد منا يتكتم في قوقعة تصلبه وتسجنه داخلها تدريجيا" يبدو أن البشرية بحربها العالمية وما بعدها، وزمن الثورات وما يتخللها ويليها، وحتى زمن الاوبئة وما فيها لا تجلب للنفس إلا القلق الذي يصير جزءا من الوجود الإنساني، حتى يصبح التساؤل الذي يواجهنا: هل القلق الذي نشعر به يأتي تبعا للكوارث أم أنه أصيل فينا ويسبق كل ما هو عالمي وبائس في دنيانا؟عموما لا ضرورة حتى للمعرفة فالقلق واحد وإن اختلفت الأسباب، وتعددت المذاهب في رؤيته ووصفه والتعامل معه، فيبدو أننا على مر العصور وبعيدا عن كل الظروف سنبقى أبناءً للقلق بشكل ثابت。في النهاية يرى كامو أننا: "يجب أن يقوم استمرارنا على أساس تقبل عدم وجود معنى مطلق لما نفعله。。。 ومن ثم يجب على المرء أن يتصور سيزيف سعيدا" ربما علينا أن نحاول تطبيق رؤية كامو هذه، على صعوبتها لصاحبها نفسه، فكيف يمكن لفاقد المعنى أن يستمر؟ ولكن بما أن استمراريتنا غير مرهونة بدوافعنا أو حتى تقبلنا -ما لم نفعل شيئا وننتحر- يبدو أننا سنكمل بمعنى أو بدونه، قد نتكئ على ايمان أو صحبة أو أي شيء إلى أن يفقد كل شيء معناه بالتوالي وهكذا ما دمنا نحيا。 وكما غنت غالية بن علي: "نمشي في الطرقات 。。 ونذبح كل المرايا التي لا نستطيع التكلم أمامها على راحتنا。。 نشرخ حناجرنا بالصراخ ونداء الله والموتى 。。 ثم نجلس كي نحكي الحواديث بصوت مبحوح وحولنا ما تبقى من المرايا" 。。。more
Tina Tadic
，
I love existentialists and I love reading a philosophers work through a biographical lens， so this book provided a lovely blend of both。 There were perhaps some points where the author's point of view seemed strangely tacked on to an idea or person， but usually I appreciated her perspective on the matter and the stories of how she became acquainted or enchanted by a certain philosopher。 I think her portraits of everyone were fair and unbiased which I really appreciate， and how there wasn't shyin I love existentialists and I love reading a philosophers work through a biographical lens， so this book provided a lovely blend of both。 There were perhaps some points where the author's point of view seemed strangely tacked on to an idea or person， but usually I appreciated her perspective on the matter and the stories of how she became acquainted or enchanted by a certain philosopher。 I think her portraits of everyone were fair and unbiased which I really appreciate， and how there wasn't shying away from their problematic aspects。 I would recommend this book both to existentialism newbies wanting to introduce themselves to these ideas and authors and to those who've read their works before but would enjoy a broader overview of where each work fits historically both in the world and in each author's bibliography。 。。。more
Abby
，
“Ideas are interesting， but people are vastly more so。” I am not smart enough to read straight philosophy， but I am glad that Sarah Bakewell is， because she explains ideas so well， with such fluidity， poise， and mastery。 In this book， Bakewell gives us a tour of the existentialist movement in Europe， principally through the biographies of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir， and gives us a brilliant primer on the philosophy itself， as expressed through some of its other luminaries （such as Hu “Ideas are interesting， but people are vastly more so。” I am not smart enough to read straight philosophy， but I am glad that Sarah Bakewell is， because she explains ideas so well， with such fluidity， poise， and mastery。 In this book， Bakewell gives us a tour of the existentialist movement in Europe， principally through the biographies of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir， and gives us a brilliant primer on the philosophy itself， as expressed through some of its other luminaries （such as Husserl， Heidegger， Jaspers， and Merleau-Ponty）。 I feel more educated， having finished it， and also more thoughtful。 Warmly recommended。“For Sartre， we show bad faith whenever we portray ourselves as passive creations of our race， class， job， history， nation， family， heredity， childhood influences， events， or even hidden drives in our subconscious which we claim are out of our control。 It is not that such factors are unimportant: class and race， in particular， he acknowledged as particular forces in people’s lives， and Simone de Beauvoir would soon add gender to that list。 Nor did he mean that privileged groups have the right to pontificate to the poor and downtrodden about the need to ‘take responsibility’ for themselves。 That would be a grotesque misreading of Sartre’s point， since his sympathy in any encounter always lay with the more oppressed side。 But for each of us — for me — to be in good faith means not making excuses for myself。 We cannot say （to quote more examples from Sartre’s 1945 lecture） ‘I have never had a great love or a great friendship; but that is because I never met a man or woman who were worthy of it; if I have not written any very good books， it is because I have not had the leisure to do so。’ We do say such things， all the time; but we are in bad faith when we do it。” 。。。more
Gabrielle
，
Such a wonderful compilation of biographies and ideas of the existentialist！ Great book on Pairs before， during， and after WW II！
Steven Forrest
，
Engaging introduction and exploration of existentialism that is primarily centred around the lives of Husserl， Heidegger， Sartre and Beauvoir。 I'm not a philosophy student nor was I very aware of existentialism before reading the book。 Yet I found it readable and enjoyable， although it was a struggle at the start。 I especially found the impact of external events （e。g。 WWII， communism etc。）， politics， friendships， and the changing nature of ideas to be fascinating。 I would recommend this book to Engaging introduction and exploration of existentialism that is primarily centred around the lives of Husserl， Heidegger， Sartre and Beauvoir。 I'm not a philosophy student nor was I very aware of existentialism before reading the book。 Yet I found it readable and enjoyable， although it was a struggle at the start。 I especially found the impact of external events （e。g。 WWII， communism etc。）， politics， friendships， and the changing nature of ideas to be fascinating。 I would recommend this book to others who want to learn more about existentialism and phenomenology， as well as the individuals that had a strong influence on its development。 I can see many aspects of the present that are shaped by the events and ideas discussed in this book， from modern social science research to The Matrix。 。。。more
Luca
，
„At the Existentialist Cafe“ is a very well written pice of non fiction。 It gives a （very good） overview over the history of existential philosophy。 It talks about the „how is how“ of this era。 Famous philosophers like Sartre， Camus and Heidegger make an appearance but also smaller names get pict up。 Furthermore the key believes of the existentialist philosophy get explained on the one hand and the key differences get their share on the other。 I liked the easy approach， I think someone new to Ex „At the Existentialist Cafe“ is a very well written pice of non fiction。 It gives a （very good） overview over the history of existential philosophy。 It talks about the „how is how“ of this era。 Famous philosophers like Sartre， Camus and Heidegger make an appearance but also smaller names get pict up。 Furthermore the key believes of the existentialist philosophy get explained on the one hand and the key differences get their share on the other。 I liked the easy approach， I think someone new to Existentialism can make a lot of sense about the key ideas of this philosophical movement。I‘m not very keen on the long depiction of Sartre‘s life （maybe because I already read a Biographie about him） but one can argue that his life was pure existentialism。 In the last chapter I misst a look into the future。 What happend to this school of thought。 Did it get evolved？ Did some people think it further？ To conclude， in my opinion this book gives a good introduction to famous， and sadly not so famous， existentialist and their key idears。 The author sometimes looses herself in long descriptions of the lifes of those she writes about， but for some this might could be useful （ she even stated it near the end of the book， to paraphrase:“ the life of one is more important than the Theorie）。 This books encourages the reader to dive deeper into that wonderful philosophy。 The philosophy of freedom， being and cocktails。 。。。more
Encyclopedia
，
Such an enjoyable read！ The idea of mixing biography with introducing existentialism/charting how its founders developed its ideas over time is so clever， and makes the reading experience so much more varied than simply deep-diving into philosophical concepts。 The translation I read was very well done， as well。Also: learning there existed a guy without an impolite bone in his body， who *forced* himself to be rude to Nazis because it was his moral duty to be rude to Nazis？ #Relatable
Dapperyay
，
It’s rare that I finish a book and immediately want to start over right at the beginning。
Jacob
，
A few months ago I was reading about socialism and came across a pdf by a UX design student who was really into the philosophy of Frankfurt Schoolers in Germany as well as Satre and Beauvoir in France。 I realized I hadn't spent much time reading any of that。 I've since read just a bit of Walter Benjamin， which has me in the mood to go back to McMurtry's Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen: Reflections on Sixty and Beyond。 Then， as I looked for something about French Existentialism， I stumbled on A few months ago I was reading about socialism and came across a pdf by a UX design student who was really into the philosophy of Frankfurt Schoolers in Germany as well as Satre and Beauvoir in France。 I realized I hadn't spent much time reading any of that。 I've since read just a bit of Walter Benjamin， which has me in the mood to go back to McMurtry's Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen: Reflections on Sixty and Beyond。 Then， as I looked for something about French Existentialism， I stumbled on this biography/philosophy book by Sarah Bakewell and I couldn't be happier with it。I read most of this book pacing back and forth on my balcony on sunny late-winter mornings intermittently cradling a cup of coffee to keep my hands warm。 The book is expansive， covering dozens of philosophers of the era （Husserl， Heidegger， Merleau-Ponty， Arendt， Weil， Baldwin， Camus， Jaspers， Richard Wright， and more all make appearances alongside the two main figures of Satre and Beauvoir） and Sarah Bakewell doesn't shy away from quoting passages of philosophical texts at times， but things always felt accessible。 Bakewell's interpretations and guidance first on Being and Time and then Being and Nothingness （as well as several other tough philosophical treaties） were engaging。 But the book was as much a history of human life as it was a history of deep thought。 I liked the depictions of Satre and Beauvoir as friends and lovers， as resistance writers toiling under German occupation in Paris， of the obtuse mountain man Heidegger and all the friends he lost for not renouncing the Nazis。 I found the post-war Cold War-era stories equally interesting。 Satre's breakups with Camus and Merleau-Ponty over questions of commitment to Communism felt strangely parallel with some of the experiences of recent charged social-political environments。 I came out of this wanting to read more of Simone de Beauvoir's work most。 I want to read her autobiographies and of course The Second Sex， which Bakewell says is the most influential of all the Existential books。 I still probably can't explain Existentialism in a few short sentences—let alone Heidegger's Dasein， or Husserl's Phenomenology—but Sarah Bakewell has given me a life-filled diorama readied for those ideas to be more deeply explored。 （Note to self: Read Feb-Mar 2021 on Libby， too many highlights to add all notes here so you'll want to borrow it again and reread。 ）A few quotes'I am always one step ahead of myself， making myself up as I go along。' -Bakewell describing Satre's Existential thought 'Existence precedes essence'they would admit anyone 'so long as they were interesting—that is， if they had a book under their arm。''Satre proposed that all situations be judged according to how they appeared in teh eyes of those most oppressed， or those whose suffering was greatest。''Atheist existentialists asked how we can live meaningfully in the absence of God。 They all wrote about anxiety and the experience of being overwhelmed by choice。''I am literally nothing beyond what I decide to be。'Every German， he wrote， must ask the question 'how am I guilty？' an ideal does not become any less inspiring just because it is impossible to stick to。Thinking should be generous and have a good appetite。 I find life far too valuable these days to shut out most of its variety in favour of digging down into the depths—and remaining down there。 。。。more
مصطفى منير
，
لو في حاجة أحب النّاس تعرفها عن الكتاب ده؛ فهو أنك هتقرأ كتاب بيعرض فلسفة معينة من غير ما تحس إنه بيدفعك ليها، هو بيعرض الأمر بحيادية تامة وده إللي بحبه في نوعية الكتب دي؛ الكتابة من أجل المعرفة مش من أجل التّمجيد。 ولو في حاجة أنا أكتشفتها عن نفسي؛ فبعد قراءة الكتاب ده؛ أنا شخص وجودي فعلا، ومعجب جدا بالوجودية، وواضح إني كنت محتاج أقرأ حاجة زي دي، عشان أفهم حاجات كتيرة كانت جوايا ومكنتش عارف لها تفسير。 رحلة فلسفية جميلة، مش هقول إني محستش بالملل، لكن الفضول خلاني ماسك كل فصل وعمّال أعيد وأزيد فيه لو في حاجة أحب النّاس تعرفها عن الكتاب ده؛ فهو أنك هتقرأ كتاب بيعرض فلسفة معينة من غير ما تحس إنه بيدفعك ليها، هو بيعرض الأمر بحيادية تامة وده إللي بحبه في نوعية الكتب دي؛ الكتابة من أجل المعرفة مش من أجل التّمجيد。 ولو في حاجة أنا أكتشفتها عن نفسي؛ فبعد قراءة الكتاب ده؛ أنا شخص وجودي فعلا، ومعجب جدا بالوجودية، وواضح إني كنت محتاج أقرأ حاجة زي دي، عشان أفهم حاجات كتيرة كانت جوايا ومكنتش عارف لها تفسير。 رحلة فلسفية جميلة، مش هقول إني محستش بالملل، لكن الفضول خلاني ماسك كل فصل وعمّال أعيد وأزيد فيه من كتر جماله。 وطبعًا منقدرش أبدًا ننسى دور التّرجمة العظيمة للأستاذ حسام。 。。。more
Vaiva Klimaitė
，
Na tikrai žavinga knyga， kaip prof。 Rimas Kočiūnas ir žadėjo。 Įtraukiantis populiaraus mokslo， istorinio romano ir （šiek tiek absurdo） dramos žanrų raizginys， su pagrindinėmis Sartre， de Beauvoir， Heidegger， Husserl， Merleau-Ponty， kažkiek ir Kierkegaard ir kitų filosofų egzistencialistų fenomenologų idėjomis， istoriniu ir politiniu kontekstu， kuriose tos idėjos kilo ir keitėsi， ir su labai įvairiais visų veikėjų tarpusavio santykiais， kaip jie ten vienas su kitu draugavo ir pykosi （ypač de Beau Na tikrai žavinga knyga， kaip prof。 Rimas Kočiūnas ir žadėjo。 Įtraukiantis populiaraus mokslo， istorinio romano ir （šiek tiek absurdo） dramos žanrų raizginys， su pagrindinėmis Sartre， de Beauvoir， Heidegger， Husserl， Merleau-Ponty， kažkiek ir Kierkegaard ir kitų filosofų egzistencialistų fenomenologų idėjomis， istoriniu ir politiniu kontekstu， kuriose tos idėjos kilo ir keitėsi， ir su labai įvairiais visų veikėjų tarpusavio santykiais， kaip jie ten vienas su kitu draugavo ir pykosi （ypač de Beauvoir ir Jaspers su visais draugavo， o Heidegger ir Sartre su visais pykosi）。 Smagiai aprašyta visa ta fenomenologų "virtuvė"， su visokiais pašmaikštavimais apie filosofų įspūdingas， dažniausiai nesugyvenamas， asmenybes ir įvairiai besiskleidžiančiais mąstymais ir gyvenimo pasirinkimais。 Žodžiu， faina， paskaitykit。 。。。more
Ray LaManna
，
This book presents a thorough overview of the primary thinkers in what we call existential philosophy: Martin Heidegger， Jean-Paul Sartre， Simone DeBeauvoir and Albert Camus， plus a number of additional philosophers。 While some of the explanations are difficult to understand and require some concentration， it is certainly a good overview of this very important and enduring philosophical trend。
Lorraine McCann
，
Sarah Bakewell is the perfect guide to this subject。 She begins with the origins of what became known as Existentialism， in the work of Heidegger， and leads you through all the major figures of the Paris matrix。 Her portraits are perfectly judged: you get enough biography to understand these people as *people* and yet it isn't reductive。 I especially enjoyed the sections about Simone de Beauvoir。 Very， very enjoyable and absorbing book。 Sarah Bakewell is the perfect guide to this subject。 She begins with the origins of what became known as Existentialism， in the work of Heidegger， and leads you through all the major figures of the Paris matrix。 Her portraits are perfectly judged: you get enough biography to understand these people as *people* and yet it isn't reductive。 I especially enjoyed the sections about Simone de Beauvoir。 Very， very enjoyable and absorbing book。 。。。more
Irena
，
Even if you don't care about existentialist， it is worth reading this book just for the historical overview。 The way all their lives and ideas were tied to historical events and contexts was truly immersive。 It gives you a heartfelt overview of the struggles during and post war that gave rise to the existentialist movement。 Loved it。 Even if you don't care about existentialist， it is worth reading this book just for the historical overview。 The way all their lives and ideas were tied to historical events and contexts was truly immersive。 It gives you a heartfelt overview of the struggles during and post war that gave rise to the existentialist movement。 Loved it。 。。。more
Sabrina Zanelli
，