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Nausea

(New Directions Paperbook)

By Jean-Paul Sartre, Alexander Lloyd

(175)

| Paperback | 9780811201889

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Book Description

Winner of the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature. Jean-Paul Sartre, philosopher, critic, novelist and dramatist, hold a position of singular eminence in the world of French letters. Among readers and critics familiar with the whole of Sartre's work, it is generally recognized that his earliest noContinue

Winner of the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature. Jean-Paul Sartre, philosopher, critic, novelist and dramatist, hold a position of singular eminence in the world of French letters. Among readers and critics familiar with the whole of Sartre's work, it is generally recognized that his earliest novel, Le Nausée (first published in 1938), is his finest and most significant. It is unquestionably a key novel of the Twentieth Century and a landmark in Existentialist fiction.

Nausea is the story of Antoine Roquentin, a French writer who is horrified at his own existence. In impressionistic, diary form he ruthlessly catalogues his every feeling and sensation about the world and people around him. His thoughts culminate in a pervasive, overpowering feeling of nausea which "spread at the bottom of the viscous puddle, at the bottom of our time—the time of purple suspenders and broken chair seats; it is made of wide, soft instants, spreading at the edge, like an oil stain." Roquentin's efforts to come to terms with his life, his philosophical and psychological struggles, give Sartre the opportunity to dramatize trhe tents of his Existentialist creed.

he introduction for this edition of Nausea by Hayden Carruth gives background on Sartre's life and major works, a summary of the principal themes of Existentialist philosophy, and a critical analysis of the novel itself.

2 Reviews

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  • 'Nausea' is both the story of the troubled life of young writer, Antoine Roquentin, and an exposition of one of the most influential and significant philosophical attitudes of modern times - existentialism. The book chronicles his struggle with the realization that he is an entirely free agent in a ... (continue)

    'Nausea' is both the story of the troubled life of young writer, Antoine Roquentin, and an exposition of one of the most influential and significant philosophical attitudes of modern times - existentialism. The book chronicles his struggle with the realization that he is an entirely free agent in a world devoid of meaning; a world in which he must find his own purpose and then take total responsibility for his choices. A seminal work of contemporary literary philosophy, 'Nausea' evokes and examines the dizzying angst that can come from simply trying to live.

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    Marta Twarowska said on Dec 18, 2010 | Add your feedback

  • Depressingly Accurate

    Reading this reminded me heavily of being in secondary school. It goes through pretty much everything I felt and thought as a teenager. As such, it made me quite depressed, which is not so good for the run-up to Christmas.

    Nevertheless, this is a good book. It doesn't seem to say a lot, but in ... (continue)

    Reading this reminded me heavily of being in secondary school. It goes through pretty much everything I felt and thought as a teenager. As such, it made me quite depressed, which is not so good for the run-up to Christmas.

    Nevertheless, this is a good book. It doesn't seem to say a lot, but in doing so, it says a lot about life, and as such, the Nausea becomes clear. In a away, the Nausea resides within us all, but some are more susceptible to it than others. As demonstrated by the life of the main character in the book, it affects those who spend most of their time thinking. He is alone, nostalgic, and broken-hearted. As such, he spend much of his time watching others in silence. His removal from the actions that surround him detaches any emotional reaction he could have. Instead, he resides inside himself, gives himself the Nausea, and cannot do anything to extract himself from his hated, self-inflicted life.

    No real answer is provided for his situation, which perhaps shows the author as being the main inspiration for the novel, which is to be expected. I doubt The Nausea could have been written by anyone who didn't have it. It is still a satisfying read, just don't expect too much from it.

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    Daniel Peachey said on Feb 23, 2009 | Add your feedback

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