Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Tete-a-Tete: The Tumultuous Lives and Loves of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre
Tete-a-Tete: The Tumultuous Lives and Loves of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre
Tete-a-Tete: The Tumultuous Lives and Loves of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre
Ebook607 pages10 hours

Tete-a-Tete: The Tumultuous Lives and Loves of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

“Enthralling . . . Here we find an ugly, walleyed existentialist philosopher, the elegantly beautiful author of The Second Sex and the Gallic equivalent of a bevy of young starlets who share the bed of one or the other--or sometimes both. Readers will turn these pages alternately mesmerized and appalled.” — Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World

Passionate, freethinking existentialist philosopher-writers Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre are one of the world's legendary couples. Their committed but notoriously open union generated no end of controversy in their day. Biographer Hazel Rowley offers the first dual portrait of these two colossal figures and their intense, often embattled relationship. Through original interviews and access to new primary sources, Rowley portrays Sartre and Beauvoir up close.

Tête-à-Tête magnificently details the passion, daring, humor, and contradictions of a remarkably unorthodox relationship.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateOct 13, 2009
ISBN9780061852909
Author

Hazel Rowley

Hazel Rowley is the author of two previous books: Christina Stead: A Biography and Richard Wright: The Life And Times. She has been a Rockefeller Foundation Fellow and a Bunting Institute Fellow at Radcliffe College, and has taught at the University of Iowa and at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. She lives in New York and Paris.

Related to Tete-a-Tete

Related ebooks

Biography & Memoir For You

View More

Related articles

Related categories

Reviews for Tete-a-Tete

Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

10 ratings5 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A very well-written book based on the long-accomplished relationship between Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre. Quite an amazing story of collaboration detailing their mutual pursuit of every experience including writing, travel, politics, love, deceit, and sexual conquests. A very insightful and enjoyable read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This story of the relationship of Sartre and Beauvoir and their circle was a marvel of research and story-telling. Fascinating lives, well told.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Okay - I'm not going to write a proper review of this (after all, I struggle to review fiction - I wouldn't know where to begin reviewing non-fiction) but Tete-a-Tete only deepened my fascination with Sartre and de Beauvoir. If you're a fellow devotee, I can't recommend this book highly enough.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An very worthwhile biography..... very interesting on so many levels (psychological, historical/context, ethical/moral, spiritual/existential). As Irvin D. Yalom has so well pointed out, all of us struggle with some basic existential issues (e.g., life, death and anxiety), and Simone and Jean Paul were no exception. In fact, it seems they struggled with these universal questions more than most of us. I found the book exceptional and many of the critics come to the biography with what seems so clear to an outsider - preconceived notions and biases about these 2 extraordinary people. I found it interesting that Sartre struggled with "guilt" over the suicide of one of his girl friends. He was also very "deceitful" (intentionally choose to not be completely honest) when it came to his concurrent lovers.In the end, I found Simone's life story to be the much more interesting.... as one of the first feminists of her generation. Just goes to show you what an education in philosophy can do...... powerful individuals, powerful message and an excellent author. This review is for the 2006 paperback edition by Hazel Rowley. 4 1/2 stars. Paul Floyd, Mpls, MN
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read this after reading Carole Seymour-Jones's similar book A Dangerous Liaison. Both are well-written, informative books, and neither leaves me terribly impressed with Sartre and Beauvoir. In contrast to this book, A Dangerous Liaison weighs the moral character of the two subjects, finding them lacking in their propensity for seducing their minor students; their failure to put up a meaningful resistance to the Nazis (while afterwards claiming to have been defiant heroes); their willfully blind support of the USSR; and the lies and harm to third parties required to maintain their pact. With the exception of their behavior during World War II, which is dealt with only briefly, Hazel Rowley discusses these things, but pretty much without passing judgment.I don't regard philosophers and intellectuals as people who necessarily deserve reverence. Like everybody else, they are as they do. They seriously undercut their moral pronouncements when even they can't live by them. Both of these books make it clear that Sartre and Beauvoir were liars and hypocrites, and their pact has only novelty to commend it. In fact, their freedom came at the cost of deceiving their "contingent" lovers, and the whole polyamorous throng was roiled by jealousy and back-biting. Asked how he dealt with his various women, Sartre admitted that he lied to all of them, especially to Beauvoir.An interesting look at the realities of a much bally-hooed partnership.

Book preview

Tete-a-Tete - Hazel Rowley

Ֆbbook_preview_excerpt.html}˖$Ǒݯ 8'HC/4ЅnࠛyFxf*"<^qAhBZHG3l_"UAuU<<ͮ]3O>1 O>'/_W/>o8/ݼew~TO~ ;}Ƌ_}rڱݸڻ[t 7#ޜ^z,?<~Z}ͫx?n/8m]8u\5~ӟ~˿{x<O>|/}XT7>mo}h΍ o*ƹr1el}SCC;~twzzn]+?qhu%{OEٔ;SF~+7:,O+_nr<7S;bl}|Xd}X=@u3hv<FTrcusK~Xd)sw퀩4ySOcí~ػ=gm]yqݤ3R }[|5aIIauyTb'?.LAWĿXNa Tnö HySOTů8k\ǮY߷?wF$N>CPdc0|Tک_Q|vm\o݈މT)bH8&|?_u܎?۹a|~:,_b_Ի\O{7M2iƊA/6W~7V$ia"B"s֏{{7yNm#?5e.OފC1%c؊EcasI&tDʛ)\qw rgϵx"Fߎ%IOmU;˷)ԭV )#Eehwۡr6iZ^xFچ{)jgʠփBefzn=:i>ɦus(Bxb;T_P-2~9(@/p2s<58G9'|3edvATNm4-6I5YeBjolj8(\ r@amOxF{Q"/Dyw^ql߻6<=b frz7㩘Y>;@)W I^.;?dT'4_^X=5#?Sx@MgrB;߲IoX"QG` d"."EnAKv"ؒqLga‡P䩄|vZ,XˑEM-rꇹN'ݲ['74] Ѫ6,*T.RqA RI7UwO;HM!#s#ӌ|4^Ƅ`@DN9XuXh2궓lAbceQ'R^a|x1|>5Pe, $cw\f޹ MZ~L]ػa:ˣU|BAT\Lt{Xi&̞תF|`.~a FMo7K8\YfE:Y,7b:n]}+ZFĻ }+̛Dƽ"nz[|tTQyaQa l+!kS\O4 D4{]=)ĹxZϭ,j'Oᓕnf^{ȋ]oT];\|Q<jn^>f TyTՏI4"' Q]1"ObCsx $H){:Λt [Qa S#0[Du828ĔI}nqbs5fo'92LTns(]ZtaNtCz'#['#Hk7ZS'l l)i{I?̊jٙber!GN@%:#xl t"6ɓ"iD^{g:b*W؊PpVO\+'\Z^3KDNm޻[D"0t-@J*$D/6l~Jo:.ahd!QD r6WtoPubUGm[gQ.xĦ c,ʂ7AeVbR7pVBn`:\^L%e+D#1\nxG xX绀M#]e@ԇU~K >R ѭT6݂-&ڞ?[~(.rOkWtpT r$ע%&(D|Ë`?wDDxw3~@3kW7b_96A81iH=yPm]RXpe ?oTmF0kś@5, "Q5ԥF.PnaXU VòW&l*FK$1voDA~*t/YԆyA$`ʥ`6룿*nک]g%OʻA@$ͮ"=f1 e2@ f=͎!iz@<n19G`6rRb`}D6;_4J!APK'FY=Ҹ1BƮ|7:5k:흫ϦEʮ&p>X71T@RQ00A8B!^X5ܙaM#ګAϺ<6'nў 9ol`dz=mwC(LW839j=-[ѿ2[Q(fa49Z Z@u8-)(Gk5ٰЭk ȦTI%jm4e䕫D+x} bD  bӭu n< } *:)Ea,!} */$v Qv*&kJO?73j:xEsD 3?XF7șf܏̰-&f"4Ыrin @1#nw”pq@e1ayx5bDΑU5㌩J^u 23mdgPO  ^ GܶgmT6y2v;Ѽ"V0Er4O8Z&E{:FڃkaۧmmFoEἽ&i6A:\w9+ɋh 7sE* HTԥѼTt0v"dӖ *jtm?'PCY;__MQ_ܐXd#%ӆ-jsL48|[3jFQtꙸr nȽ3y>!,T^!L99t'}=^G+>T b7&)c(֗j ?]?@K~irH:goy[$/2Olf"#VE>UEX swѕBz e>MgLO_l!bgEŷ2ͨxǍ)IieDw~iԪfn6,dl1]bAbڞ+7װLn[/ϔI=gXd0b?&5-m#RΫ7k"]A h pcwD'һ(E0DyFj+f47cRV.jdF2Z5z@~Dy!.p)r W+#F"b$Ԁ^KeΔpF̤G 37gdJT5* ̳:HniѳTrUT=N:D )z%]@ڡNswNUbI=}A''P*Vg@-w,}Lfc>x)5gI>G3o$bˉN)DrV)sH; J`a432;fD'jpp `2!zs!Է Qu_5QrVH]ʸ)2)KDt@;*ȋY.ݵ[`nwl&o 1Q@#=81\ˀ=.6wܚ9Ad`)Fk} \P)U7]t> ˱F5Y'"*`m6>c nBiTO:1B׀%&H)'<.+6Q;1̝Gsohɧ'7'2!ȎY9^)n.kLwVâA,ta61]t!MN%m&}I>Qk)CJgO'*jna3E%il1d1WU";<[2*ӕYn91f'2w˰2QRON7Y6+z2jN,6F6g@412%ڕa[n-FP&i:lxģ`@ }8- )HqF}rr^/TI&Y7o3 JcL}B쮝-9kGM n^w¡Ɲmp@z2"RPc`ͣVY܁!K (dbb*Ƃޠ&THLRol%|~0򣊂:/.]鍦11/k@DCVDIn hq73lgMAZ#yjEyNj%!vIdiɌ;&8E()ảL׫'~:ʅ Z ݌ƸRm=. FxI8|3ךRD!VNp*@k2#n6b껙rr#J}ׂÂqvd!/ELL x͑6DkkxUWɎy@Y RִU W)RTrw~|3/\4MHOOVK#e5:V`.ntVZ>tɲ/ Q}.P0Ӣ45-.K;ݢvΚ+AN>r bGU*UJpsdXy !;i#b%Zh""nSOxQY۵r!)F@"hIhVB8: C91L> 1z\淕PmiOsMcNWPJ&cDΣ2-Ȕ5[uLiv1W+W??;3ǑYnMtdjm̓3iXeLgo*.  nX o,7 ' 2v5d}ev*~XJ|/?~^|?^߫{) |}JEaRB2W_֮BhJ|丫QvˮN  Eh Sp(ۄL3 udEHyGg-lIq"<9bXfSgp"7 BӚ },U/qScuӬuN@2"T9ETHȰ-F]鍒"5)CqlabD&rJ1>(ֵH藛A$Y&%h/ BQz.ǮLPYm JnF_,f%[{ĩX`ִP1N3Kj@ڊSE8lL<>lйhХzmCx-b_4ȊH-tT IL]$Ծn8149a799y!1'_n>Ě((xLxpn(9JnRUځLu@Duʥ{T}Վ[A~I-rQΉNm?`F\>w!׺!X_#+gsI,;k"[BuT7>R 7z/eyZB+heb^uhj+- Rxs GOL e CʈGHC@]ye6|ӘuE*6E.?LctWN"'.I{KQ |#,(LUԫse*c̨XPӍ l&ގJc%=-eNnMdԬ?ܶնv(EтgB_C*a:ې˖6 F;aY5JY˨9n2ŗxEּۇF-\0_M5GPdse(bYV<2);:Lx@u]5;OdU!J-!V/Bw}.kD":sJNl H7;ݞ@o缮ӞLtOCt;q":0Z# >2ɡk]™nL @'2I5`j#g=ݞ+MS'TyXi:+~!'RaIws {G+vqDgl'/V8tK_D.i Q G!ISL$DrYĘev:mŌ_EofRu[Fot~AzUe'޵bΓ6ӤM. i#Ԫl9MQbq2GWx&2 _hPF_p⩁WJ7&{5a9"BSgSG(1%f2/}R4(TxF;%n#V(apa.4ξ&+eM|kvP<`IxNصJf+ /^GM1s܂;}& 2Ƭ~RmFJ޸(3m|q )h>yC6U?mH!s>{Dk;cG>_Sk QӻEP߁~G%x h&]T5YЉ39GMeZ5(-8dQ(z/yb.RzyyAҩymcI0뀄̖u76(@ Y.G[%T{5)e u+r?*zάR++/e Vqě a y6z(m˝fNv$ ۦnbjU C^۪ A`=]Χ hxCH,n"J(*>X4rMN/m*E[o ]̠kd"hF5i`0VIa/k +ƙf5٧ǽdhc*zV>LXo6*^2ҫDj3^QcDpEί|zOڎod>0`FMztZOA mw,Q.+Zl"W-s@/Z%_jחGpв=(d9>%a$4,tzبu Ei?q=Ⱦf?-:qe揼ے0H+T<3-:$Ee(!S,< Dy9QViTl7W[A4rrtNCʬFɣ(:cXK_M3&̶g57˱]Xy֥7lyT(se끸: d^#:[ZJA<gMψ$tL0)qJ\3UX<K3 S8n\L D69$ d?4mt^=Å[ 9YWy3?v-W]tkM!zQQ?k O^Mўi\$6nij``ڴK(\*1PYza !Q,8JvZ]e\#wEݯ߻#D OP򻛨Vpk}jwqƵ*}"@hUa@O=:vUKBAwvfӡYg \ȡ5/5]4.a >EJM%3R'dЍ8K)؉:Jej;J?k6 0:EALu5,3D'61"6w&D @?tl>Z`z&h۸T);k- {&?ۨ#6A{L: >>{??7v&y1xp ax"}hͧ:ʧ3e9MM&9$Ha}'WV,sd pV¥]zPG^[ h{Vt yhnQR L/u)P&6kht]djL;'ʫbf5qf*9C;~u3zR !cޢw"j|HԺ+ϏJ1-{Di7\:,ǵRUTڽO%|}3R6Wtlf<1Tz}"s4fH}<Ѹ!OYde ֮(V~NaI-H)JvcRhKJ^G)elvOEUk%~d Oq*Z5WV[(K+ydltH ]+ݖWöw c!cH乶OJ**N&(ezP̳ !mױ 7JZ1kܕ?lG#J(bԝⳳN ~P"eqVR4*IQ˟2Ffgj}׈3:˞t{STo7ۿLVLyNb%`Id6@M1 a^kK7>Z`:jjAE$!E?K[c^݃LASߪح.^K`1 ]c@ֲ3U TۛñJY[Bosw aE Ժ2^&8ԭEF-E:455[QGWˆ\tpW#̈?nE=[<3z_- s.8- 6L2 ^ItCvU &:(:hMf<,t}n=4Wnzq:/Cd5耂2\{a~̠̝eO @L7u-ۮ MsXuekI&+DպĸDW=Ԡc>ssyv,#vAu\s ՑXm9ƣbIpU'=)I9vL B7Pr|%^b5Wz̮E :rг묺RO$x#Xd]]6׌Ű׺#N;FÏ B:(۬w^>q<{`$d!^jSX`aR *`5*v*zk"2Vؕ׎Zz31l6&N,XZ~NN(u>KҀ'E@VZ vvln6!_Ɠk}zTM .~sB߬r9DUG{XY˗q{ȕ' a.dc[")Y4W \Mcl[mr=)8c<$u%Z߲Oi]Gg3HK@"l5V<+fh}PSbrW!ʄM^e> 1rY eCH'4T!vX1 ~ ̋b/uI]Q$$,ͶEAaɨ۴VkqG1DY+7Sd?~n'٩>6 4Y2a\ =1Y8m"LҕYndbVQl`eO[(eC&MXv~e1ehylYMafrG^w|?hcSQh_bT\WڤD)(eOT }}t$-H.-I2^ѥڇd1؞YĆCs3a]n܉YBݸ_$KNd~Nf?4N񤶲۱΀%jzr $^SSg X.x٫ C>ײ^ǭҸ:؄XƓ/ MW["VL֊8z)$yu Ov\Ϩe,ҢQ&Kik%e2_! usx5B]kfh5cD<q{L/gF38Jt4%Y V|[_6oI⟾_V9~ێZe:gm d)7~(BF`@Hz ӆ"k{Nչ!DBҧNTm A~3>v-(@kI< .80Ǣ1ǽNJ*؜7zeQү2غ1ztXCA?F2aJ9"Cdzǣ(Vo5ue=q~3yeb[XYEg=%MB;땣4G5ZR)%QE뚥)e<ֲ[y#iEfzŞz6C%Z7C;hpK8";med(jQ:z)ҋ;<5Ywr1 d5qɞtۘbwOB3c.QW^?֘PEzm`uG>YgQl)An~kFHRҠ"95SlCj4Lm!`'$Jٯaџ')lk^C,XApɭ Yx*YgH=d# ?'WlItCf}\ 47!6%JJK=k7Ei,fR&;=LD:F "D'"eG˾xI)Q;@ˈWBQi[a}{j0_9,G1Ďx"3$B x e\z I!GK 5;DAr4| j<삄W۱TwE΢GkOZ>ְ9y$+"*b}ȖbRWzG >>nnuBqX+ICop9ҋF^R-U D*_R]ꎗe^S969qs/lfͶ 1Do%Ey@@G'rzjmDƍ ]In}MGDzV_yT4wl-؛5etF{ *6 غD89Vsp)V$38qVO 6} .qF ::ܐό8]ę6uȂ) p-`FnGpUlV)GT,)nZL@s**:hxb-œ/.#fAG4|*[Sn<_0ir|տDg ugR ) uթ:fM@䷉2Z-7鬇Զ>2@Fz8۱⚿o %A( Xr߄}?Y0NU1v]~R2Or/&oɤ-lдM=0DΡ5+O|+
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1