Customer Reviews
a fascinating account of an often misrepresented woman. - By: , 23 Apr 2001 
A brilliantly researched study of one of the 20th centurys greatest female thinkers, this book benefits greatly from the authors access to the late philosopher & novelist. Delving into her ancestory & formative years, Bair gets as close as we may hope for to the real Simone. Starting with her haute bourgois background & tracing her entry into academic life, the reader gets to know Simone, the woman, as opposed to the often misrepresnted character of Sartre's lover. Combining a detailed analysis of her private life, along side a highly readable synopsis of her academic works, we are left with the impression of a quite formidable talent. As so often is the case in the lives of great women, this is a largely overlooked talent. The Second Sex may be every 18 year old feminists bible, but like Satre, it is not enough to define de Beavuoir by. Bair's book engages the reader from the very first paragraph & will be ideal for anyone with even a passing interest in one of the most brilliant minds of the last century. Read it!
Bad book! - By: , 30 Jul 1999 
According to Claude Lanzmann there are several major errors which do occur in Bairs book, & basicallly it's gives a rotten & unworthy presentation of de Beauvoirs life & work.
/Leah Greber
Complete - By: , 12 Jul 1999 Reallly, this book was a page-turner, a book of facts so well-written it made one want to know more, more, more, even when the knowing was almost painful out of de Beauvoir empathy. I wanted to read it as a companion to de Beauvoir's autobiographical series & was particularly grateful to Bair for pointing out incidents in which de Beauvoir "guilded the lily" when she recounted her own life. De Beauvoir's autobiography & this make perfect companions for a study on auto/biography & its subjectivication. (Also see Silent Woman by Janet Malcom.)
I had read previous biographical material on de Beauvoir, but none I ever felt was so complete, & helped me to know her so well. I strongly recommend this as history, literary criticism, psychology & philosophy.
