At the Existentialist Café
Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails
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At the Existentialist Café
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Narrated by:
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Antonia Beamish
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By:
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Sarah Bakewell
About this listen
Paris, near the turn of 1933. 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. Pointing to his drink, he says, 'You can make philosophy out of this cocktail!'
From this moment of inspiration, Sartre will create his own extraordinary philosophy of real, experienced life - of love and desire, of freedom and being, of cafés and waiters, of friendships and revolutionary fervour. It is a philosophy that will enthral Paris and sweep through the world, leaving its mark on post-war liberation movements, from the student uprisings of 1968 to civil rights pioneers.
At the Existentialist Café tells the story of modern existentialism as one of passionate encounters between people, minds and ideas. From the 'king and queen of existentialism' - Sartre and de Beauvoir - to their wider circle of friends and adversaries including Albert Camus, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Iris Murdoch, this audiobook is an enjoyable and original journey through a captivating intellectual movement.
Weaving biography and thought, Sarah Bakewell takes us to the heart of a philosophy about life that also changed lives, and that tackled the biggest questions of all: what we are and how we are to live.
©2016 Sarah Bakewell (P)2016 Audible, LtdListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"This lucid study of the existentialists picks out some overlooked figures and exposes the sexual hypocrisies of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre." (Jane O’Grady, Sunday Telegraph)
What listeners say about At the Existentialist Café
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- salman
- 29-04-21
Life story of famous existentialists
Sarah has described the life and philosophies of the major names in history of existentialism. If you are interested in phenomenology and existentialism then you would like her commentary on life contributions and times of these famous philosophers.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Samson
- 29-01-18
Philosophy - Biography - History
Excellent narration. The story is a survey of a vibrant philosophical movement intertwined with the biographies of the main actors. All the while there is parallel history of Europe in the 20th century. Very pleasing
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- J. Deane
- 03-01-21
you are free to choose
On the whole, I enjoyed it, and have taken some references for further reading. it is perhaps a better history of existentialism than an explanation of it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Martin
- 21-07-23
intro to existentialism through biographies
This was excellent in so many different ways, a great balance of philosophy, history, culture and biography. There is much to learn here, it provides a great big picture view for anyone planning to delve into any of the philosophers discussed.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- M. E. Birch
- 14-01-24
Fascinating listen
This was fascinating, but I feel as though I’m going to have to listen a couple more times before it really sinks in. Existentialism is a term that I’ve heard often, but never really been sure of its meaning, so this seemed like a good opportunity to learn. Large group of people, some familiar names, some less so, and although the presentation is very accessible, some of the ideas definitely made my brain hurt. I shall return to it at some point and see if I can follow it any better.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sara Black
- 24-03-17
Existentialism brought to life
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
A brilliantly written and really accessible explanation of existentialism and the people who brought this philosophy to life. Takes me back to my uni days and makes me wish I still had my copy of "Being and Nothingness". But now I want to explore so much more!
What do you think the narrator could have done better?
The narration is quite staccato and you never forget she is reading a book. And there are some bad mispronunciations (Chi as "chee" being the worst, but the German words are pretty bad) and awful attempts at a generic American accent, which grate a lot. But the story wins through!
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- michelle82
- 31-08-20
grasping historical existentialism
Great narration.
A perfect way to get a grasp of historical existentialism and take a look into how it all began. I enjoyed listening, some true gems of information.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 24-05-18
amazing piece. very interesting to read.
The author did a lot of research while working on the book. well done! I've learned a lot of new and interesting facts about pre- and post war Europe.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- LC
- 11-06-19
A glimpse into another world
Gives a glimpse of the lives and times of a number of existentialist philosophers who lived through the same times and whose lives entangled with each other in various ways. Seeing their philosophies from the perspective of their interacting life stories gives a different kind of insight.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Strive
- 01-02-22
Brings a dry subject to life
Enjoyable chronological account of the characters who contributed to and led the existential philosophy movement. The writer brings personalities to life and examines their sometimes loving, sometimes hostile relationships with each other. I found the narration engaging and fun. If you’ve read Simone de Beauvoir’s biographies there is some overlap but this is a complimentary read and having read the hard copy then listened to Audible afterwards I would say both forms are excellent and using both is even better!
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