This is an excellent novel about unpleasant people, with some unforgettable scenes. Here's one of the ones I liked most. Daniel, a strange character who has never managed to establish a normal connection with the world, has been hovering on the edge of suicide for some time. He's finally decided he's going to do it. But he can't just leave his three cats to starve to death, so he puts them in a wicker basket and takes them down to the river to drown them. The basket is too small, and he can hear [...]

I had this job one summer at a Dillard's department store. I worked in the linens section. Nobody shops for sheets in the summer, I guess, because I spent a lot of time doing absolutely nothing. My boyfriend used to write me letters and send me to work with them so that I would have something to read. Well that got old so one day when I was poking around the props (you know - how they set up the entire fancy-pants mock bedrooms?) I found a copy of this book on a table. So I parked myself on a st [...]

‘Age of Reason’ is all about existentialism. Fiction and philosophy inextricably and ‘entertainingly’ combined almost rendering it a page-turner. I had never previously come across the guile and craft of Sartre, the artist and only knew Sartre, the philosopher whose authoritative philosophical monologues were curt and declarative, sans the resplendence of an artistic canvas. The vivacity and vividness with which Sartre paints each one of his characters amidst their existential exigencies [...]

سن الرشد جان بول سارترالكتب لم توضع كي نؤمن بما تقوله، ولكن كي نتحرى فيها، لا يجب أن نتساءل أمام كتاب ماذا يقول، ولكن ماذا يريد أن يقول.هذه الرواية لم تُخلق ليُكتب عنها، بل وُجدت لتٌقرأ وتُقرأ فقط لنعيش في أجواءها.ملحمة من العلاقات الإنسانية شديدة التعقيد والتداخل تدور أحدا� [...]

This is basically a soap opera with brains and direction, which is my favorite kind of book ever. The character development is EXTRAORDINARY. I recommend this book on that facet alone. I didn't read this as an exemplification of Sartre's philosophy, but rather as a study of the philosophy of the characters in the story. None of these people are truly likable, but they are all the more human because of that. Even the most agreeable people think disagreeable thoughts. This is something most of us [...]

Introduction--The Age of Reason

Soap opera with brains. Yes, I can agree with this. Caring about other people while watching their little lives and dramas is so much more fulfilling when they prove themselves to have complex despair behind their everyday actions. It never ends, really. The constant proving to oneself that this life is worthwhile, that the hopes of the past and the dreams of the future won't go to waste. Mathieu keeps to his belief of freedom, to be capable of anything, no matter what constraints have been laid [...]

“I have led a toothless life a toothless life. I have never bitten into anything. I was waiting. I was reserving myself for later on – and I have just noticed that my teeth have gone.”Reading The Age of Reason felt like navigating the dark recesses of my subconscious and coming face-to-face with my innermost anxieties. If that sounds awful, that’s because it kind of was. I don’t think I’ve ever finished a book on such a low note. I also don’t think I’ve ever finished a book feeli [...]

I found this book on a much neglected dusty shelf in a back-alley-esque section of my local library and decided to take it home with me. I had never read anything written by Jean-Paul Sartre before (purely due to Sartre's intimidating reputation) but something about The Age Of Reason demanded to be read. Needless to say, I soon found myself swimming in the erratic seas of Mathieu Delarue's chaotic existence, completely in awe of Sartre's understanding of human impetus. We meet Mathieu, a philoso [...]

The first part of his Freedom series should be required reading for any existentialist approaching his mid-30s without any aspirations of marrying or falling in line. Mathieu, a French philosophy professor, spends most of the novel trying to borrow money so he can pay for his mistresses' abortion. His friends are a sorted bunch who attempt to take away his only goal: ultimate freedom.Some literary experts say the protagonist must transform by the end. But what makes this book so great is that Ma [...]

Over the course of two days in Paris during a hot summer in 1938, philosophy teacher Mathieu Delarue has a crisis on his hands, he needs to raise funds for an abortion so his life can retain the total freedom that he so dearly clings to, all the while there is a circulating tension with the threat of war looming. 'The Age of Reason' captures this period in time very well, but the overall narrative left me cold.Expertly written?, yes, but drags along in places, Matthieu himself was a deeply studi [...]

Jean-Paul Sartre's The Age of Reason combines the author's existentialist investigations along with an analysis of human relations, continuing the philosophical intensity of Dostoevsky's complex melodramas. However, instead of an emphasis on religious morality and redemption, Sartre opts for a colder, more atheistic tone all under the threatening heat of the impending war. Sartre's tightly structured, dialogue-heavy novel works well in order to showcase his rather blunt but well observed viewpoi [...]

Apparently the BBC aired this series of books back in the 70s but now there is a conspiracy of silence as to just why it is not available. sourceAll that I have found is a documentary here. Easy to see the free-press roots of Charlie Hebdo in this and aren't we all vehemently against terrorism in all its forms? Sartre in his later years endorsed attacks as 'the atomic bomb of the poor.'Seems like a flip-flop to me. He was a man for and of a tiny window in on-going history.

I wouldn't call this novel beautiful because the characters are so tedious, but the story is strangely captivating. It reminded me why we should all tame our runaway thoughts. If, as this book and existentialist theory would have us believe, the most profound philosophical condition revolves around individual thought, then our philosophical condition can be so silly. Superfluous even. Jean-Paul Sarte writes about really capable people who are fundamentally insecure, petulant, and selfish. They r [...]

مرعبة ، عظيمة ، تقدّس سارتر.

Jean-Paul Sartre’s three volume work, “Les Chemins de la liberté” (The Roads to Freedom), may be one of the earliest literary endeavours featuring an existentialist hero, through whom Sartre explores the problems that modern man encounters as individuals came to terms with the onus implicit in freedom and decision. The first book, “L'âge de raison” (The Age of Reason), introduces Mathieu Delarue, based on Sartre himself. He is a recluse with few friends and little money, confronted w [...]

The Age of Reason constantly debates what the idea of freedom is for a man. Whether growing old means one should make every decision with reason or simply reconciliation. Set in the backdrop of Second World War, the characters seem completely oblivious, choosing to live their insular lives with their selfish ambitions - chasing their own version of freedom. Seen from an individual's perspective, freedom seems justified but not entirely when contrasted to humanity. Sartre's thinking makes for a t [...]

A middle-classed white man finds life difficult, because annoying unattractive women either don't fall in love with him, or fall in love too easily, or just go and get pregnant as soon as you fuck them. Life is so damn unfair because one can't just do whatever one likes without consequences. Oh, and life beyond 30 is pointless.

نظریات اگزیستانسیالیستی سارتر در قالب رمان.شخصیت دانیل شباهت داشت به استاروگین داستایوسکی.

Comprei esta velha edição de bolso francesa numa feira de antiguidades por 1€ e estava longe de esperar algo tão marcante.Numa Paris em que a tensão pré-2ª Guerra Mundial é algo palpável seguimos a vida de algumas personagens, sendo a principal Mathieu, um professor de 34 anos que tenta levar à prática um ideal de vida de liberdade sem compromissos (tanto emocionais como a ideologias particulares). Quando a sua amante engravida, ele vê-se perante um dilema sem respostas fáceis.Para [...]

One of my favorites. However, I only appreciated it once I reached a certain level of maturity. It dives into the deeper consciousness of each character underneath the basic thoughts. It makes you realize how insecure and all over the place all of humanity really is. The message I get from this book is "Miserable? You are not alone."

 The Age of Reason (L'âge de raison) is a 1945 novel by Jean-Paul Sartre. It is the first part of the trilogy "The Roads to Freedom". The novel, set in the bohemian Paris of the late 1930s, focuses on three days in the life of a philosophy teacher named Mathieu who is seeking money to pay for an abortion for his mistress, Marcelle. Sartre analyses the motives of various characters and their actions and takes into account the perceptions of others to give the reader a comprehensive picture [...]

“إنهما يتشبثان بشبابهما كما يتشبّث محتضرٌ بالحياة”. | سارترالتشبُّث بالشباب كان وظيفة كل شخصيات الجزء الأول من ثلاثية سارتر “سن الرشد”، إذ تمسّكت به مارسيل الفتاة العليلة حبيسة المنزل لأن الموت يترصدها خارجه عبر التمسك بحملها الذي لم يكن مخططًا له، ولا مرغوبًا من قِبل شر� [...]

I'd never read Sartre before and was expecting a difficult read. Whilst I probably didn't pick up on all the philosophical themes I did thoroughly enjoy this tale of fairly unlikeable people and their relationships with each other. There's little fun to be had with this novel but it does convey a remarkable depth of characterisation, nobody comes out of it very well and indeed none of the cast seem particularly enamored with each other. It all takes place over a very brief period of time just be [...]

I read Nausea by Sartre while in college and really go into Existentialism and novels based on Existential themes. After Nausea (which is great!) I had only read a few essays and some short stories by Sartre. Now, a few years later, I wanted to get back into Sartre and I thought I would start by reading his Freedom trilogy. I began with The Age of reason, a story about a man dealing with the inevitability of becoming middle-aged and possibly becoming a father. The catch ishe is neither ready to [...]

"ponavljao je u sebi zevajući: tačno je, ipak je tačno: nalazim se u zrelom dobu."matje, boris, danijel, marsela, ivish, lola su lichnosti na chijim ispreplitanim egzistencijama se zasniva ovaj blago filozofichni roman. poredjala sam ih po lichnom nahodjenju-dopadanju; mushki karakteri se bore za prevlast prvog mesta poshto mi se emocije bude i nadilaze jedna drugu dok razmishljam o svakom ponaosob, chudno je to. bih mogla napraviti definitivan izbore je prvi samo zato shto je ovo njegovo zre [...]

There's a bit where Sartre describes Mathieu's sister-in-law: she's pretty, but "Mathieu had on countless occasions tried to unify these fluid features, but they escaped him; as a face, Odette's always seemed to be dissolving, and thus retained its elusive bourgeois mystery." (p. 127) And that's a little how I feel about this book, halfway through; it's certainly very good, and pretty to look at, but it's weirdly slippery. I can't quite get a handle on it.That may be my fault. Tough to say what [...]

The first book of Satre's Roads of Freedom trilogy, set in the Paris of 1938, with war and occupation still an unlikely prospect. The main character, school teacher Mathieu, flirts with bohemianism and communism whilst rather ignobly trying to force his mistress to have an abortion, asking friends and family to help him out so that he can retain his freedom.Not very nice behaviour, but what the hell, existence precedes essence right? therefore all behaviour is essentially meaningless!It's a long [...]

The book would have been much better had Hemingway written it. The setting, the characters are all there, and in the end it's just too much naval gazing. I'd summarize the difference as follows:In a similar setting Hemingway's characters while knowing life is shit, would drink and stay miserable while having mighty grand fun, and so would the reader. There would be fishing, whining, drinking, smoking, more fishing, more whining and so on. They'd be like "fuck it man, let's drink and chill and wh [...]

I read this when I was 19 and am now re-reading it at 51. Oh boy - my perspective has changed! Review to follow when I am done.