When things of the spirit come first

five early tales

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Simone de Beauvoir: When things of the spirit come first (1982, A. Deutsch, Weidenfeld and Nicolson)

212 pages

English language

Published Aug. 4, 1982 by A. Deutsch, Weidenfeld and Nicolson.

ISBN:
978-0-233-97462-0
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OCLC Number:
16605322

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When Things of the Spirit Come First is Simone de Beauvoir’s first work of fiction. It consists of five short stories woven together in a way that is structurally similar to a more traditional novel.

Beauvoir submitted this collection of interlinked stories to a publisher in 1937. But it was turned down by both Gallimard and Grasset. Gallimard eventually published it in 1979. The first English translation came out from Pantheon in 1982.

The first story, "Marcelle", tells the story of the oldest of three siblings. She marries an abusive artist. The second, "Chantal", tells the story of a lycee philosophy teacher. She idealizes her life and becomes involved in the lives of her students but ultimately refuses to help them. "Lisa" is the third and shortest story, about a girl who struggles to live a spiritual life while existing in a physical body. "Anne", the fourth story, is the …

7 editions

Subjects

  • Beauvoir, Simone de, -- 1908-1986 -- Translations, English.