At the Existentialist Café
Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
At the Existentialist Café
Buy Now for $27.21
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Antonia Beamish
-
Written by:
-
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, LtdYou may also enjoy...
-
Humanly Possible
- Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry, and Hope
- Written by: Sarah Bakewell
- Narrated by: Antonia Beamish
- Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2
Humanism is an expansive tradition of thought that places shared humanity, cultural vibrancy, and moral responsibility at the center of our lives. For centuries, this worldview has inspired people to make their choices by principles of freethinking, intellectual inquiry, fellow feeling, and optimism. In this sweeping new history, Sarah Bakewell, herself a lifelong humanist, illuminates the very personal, individual, and, well, human matter of humanism and takes listeners on a grand intellectual adventure.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An affirmation of life’s Goals
- By John S on 2023-06-29
Written by: Sarah Bakewell
-
The Second Sex
- Written by: Simone de Beauvoir, Constance Borde, Sheila Malovany-Chevallier
- Narrated by: Ellen Archer, Judith Thurman
- Length: 39 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17
Simone de Beauvoir’s essential masterwork is a powerful analysis of the Western notion of "woman", and a revolutionary exploration of inequality and otherness. This unabridged edition of the text reinstates significant portions of the original French text that were cut in the first English translation, and is now available on audio for the very first time. Vital and groundbreaking, Beauvoir’s pioneering and impressive text remains as pertinent today as when it was first published, and will continue to provoke and inspire generations of men and women to come.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A pivotal work, but long winded
- By W. Crawford on 2021-10-17
Written by: Simone de Beauvoir, and others
-
The Fall
- Written by: Albert Camus
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 68
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 63
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 62
Elegantly styled, Camus' profoundly disturbing novel of a Parisian lawyer's confessions is a searing study of modern amorality.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Absolutely wonderful
- By hukchg on 2023-02-18
Written by: Albert Camus
-
Nausea (New Directions Paperbook)
- Written by: Jean-Paul Sartre
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 8
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8
Sartre's greatest novel and existentialism's key text, now introduced by James Wood, and read by the inimitable Edoardo Ballerini. Nausea is the story of Antoine Roquentin, a French writer who is horrified at his own existence. In impressionistic, diary form, he ruthlessly catalogs his every feeling and sensation.
Written by: Jean-Paul Sartre
-
Being and Time
- Written by: Martin Heidegger
- Narrated by: Martyn Swain, Taylor Carman
- Length: 23 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 8
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 8
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8
Being and Time was published in 1927 during the Weimar period in Germany, a time of political, social and economic turmoil. Heidegger himself did not escape the pressures and his nationalism, and undeniable anti-Semitism in the following decades cast a shadow over the man, but not the work. Being and Time is not coloured by expressions of his later views (unlike other writings) and remains an outstanding document.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Astonishing Reading of a Problematic Work
- By Kindle Customer on 2022-08-23
Written by: Martin Heidegger
-
The Myth of Sisyphus
- Written by: Albert Camus
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 39
One of the most influential works of this century, The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays is a crucial exposition of existentialist thought. Influenced by works such as Don Juan and the novels of Kafka, these essays begin with a meditation on suicide; the question of living or not living in a universe devoid of order or meaning.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
requires further reading
- By Anonymous User on 2019-08-19
Written by: Albert Camus
-
Humanly Possible
- Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry, and Hope
- Written by: Sarah Bakewell
- Narrated by: Antonia Beamish
- Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2
Humanism is an expansive tradition of thought that places shared humanity, cultural vibrancy, and moral responsibility at the center of our lives. For centuries, this worldview has inspired people to make their choices by principles of freethinking, intellectual inquiry, fellow feeling, and optimism. In this sweeping new history, Sarah Bakewell, herself a lifelong humanist, illuminates the very personal, individual, and, well, human matter of humanism and takes listeners on a grand intellectual adventure.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An affirmation of life’s Goals
- By John S on 2023-06-29
Written by: Sarah Bakewell
-
The Second Sex
- Written by: Simone de Beauvoir, Constance Borde, Sheila Malovany-Chevallier
- Narrated by: Ellen Archer, Judith Thurman
- Length: 39 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17
Simone de Beauvoir’s essential masterwork is a powerful analysis of the Western notion of "woman", and a revolutionary exploration of inequality and otherness. This unabridged edition of the text reinstates significant portions of the original French text that were cut in the first English translation, and is now available on audio for the very first time. Vital and groundbreaking, Beauvoir’s pioneering and impressive text remains as pertinent today as when it was first published, and will continue to provoke and inspire generations of men and women to come.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A pivotal work, but long winded
- By W. Crawford on 2021-10-17
Written by: Simone de Beauvoir, and others
-
The Fall
- Written by: Albert Camus
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 68
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 63
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 62
Elegantly styled, Camus' profoundly disturbing novel of a Parisian lawyer's confessions is a searing study of modern amorality.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Absolutely wonderful
- By hukchg on 2023-02-18
Written by: Albert Camus
-
Nausea (New Directions Paperbook)
- Written by: Jean-Paul Sartre
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 8
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8
Sartre's greatest novel and existentialism's key text, now introduced by James Wood, and read by the inimitable Edoardo Ballerini. Nausea is the story of Antoine Roquentin, a French writer who is horrified at his own existence. In impressionistic, diary form, he ruthlessly catalogs his every feeling and sensation.
Written by: Jean-Paul Sartre
-
Being and Time
- Written by: Martin Heidegger
- Narrated by: Martyn Swain, Taylor Carman
- Length: 23 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 8
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 8
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8
Being and Time was published in 1927 during the Weimar period in Germany, a time of political, social and economic turmoil. Heidegger himself did not escape the pressures and his nationalism, and undeniable anti-Semitism in the following decades cast a shadow over the man, but not the work. Being and Time is not coloured by expressions of his later views (unlike other writings) and remains an outstanding document.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Astonishing Reading of a Problematic Work
- By Kindle Customer on 2022-08-23
Written by: Martin Heidegger
-
The Myth of Sisyphus
- Written by: Albert Camus
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 39
One of the most influential works of this century, The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays is a crucial exposition of existentialist thought. Influenced by works such as Don Juan and the novels of Kafka, these essays begin with a meditation on suicide; the question of living or not living in a universe devoid of order or meaning.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
requires further reading
- By Anonymous User on 2019-08-19
Written by: Albert Camus
What the critics say
"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.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- J. Bird
- 2024-07-30
A fascinating and dramatic account of the lives of the great existentialist thinkers, and what they wrote, thought, and taught.
As a bookish, self-involved teenager I wolfed down (but only partly understood) several books by existentialist thinkers: Nietzsche, Sartre, and especially Camus.
I learned a lot (probably too much) about Sartre, Camus and other existentialists (and phenomenologists) from reading Bakewell’s book (although I still don’t appreciate what is so exciting about phenomenology).
In the end, Sartre disappointed me. His early thinking about individual responsibility and commitment (Existentialism is a Humanism) was, and still is, so compelling and important to me. But, seduced by Marxism and later Maoism, and unable to reconcile his ideas of individual freedom with these ideologies, and increasingly impaired by his addictions to drugs and alcohol, his thinking became ever more muddy, banal, undisciplined and incomplete.
Camus is what I expected - an outsider even among the existentialists.
Bakewell was unsuccessful in convincing me of Heidegger’s genius. His thinking is impenetrable, autistic, claustrophobic, there is too much Nazi “blood and soil” in him. Life is too short to spend time inside that mind.
But she did convince me to read more of Beauvoir - I ordered the Ethics of Ambiguity.
By the end I was exhausted by the inconsistencies in their thinking, their endless arguments and petty disputes, the long lists of people that Sartre and Beauvoir (and both Sartre and Beauvoir) slept with, their personal and intellectual failings, and the pathetic end to all of their lives. But I still look forward to reading more of Bakewell, and more existentialism.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance2 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 2021-11-28
Engaging and Insightful Overview of Existentialism
Existentialism and phenomenology from a personal point of view well told by an author who has done the work. Unfortunately, the reading is subpar. The reader mangles every foreign word and affects an awful American accent for U.S. personalities, unnecessarily. She also betrays in comprehension of the content, a cardinal sin in audio books.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful