Set in the volatile Paris summer of 1938, The Age of Reason follows two days in the life of Mathieu Delarue, a philosophy teacher, and his circle in the cafés and bars of Montparnasse. Mathieu has so far managed to contain sex and personal freedom in conveniently separate compartments. But now he is in trouble, urgently trying to raise 4,000 francs to procure a safe abortion for his mistress, Marcelle. Beyond all this, filtering an uneasy light on his predicament, rises the distant threat of the coming of the Second World War. The Age of Reason is the first volume in Sartre’s Roads to Freedom trilogy
The Roads to Freedom Series
This series delves into the depths of human existence, exploring the eternal questions of freedom, choice, and the meaning of life. It follows characters grappling with personal dilemmas and moral decisions during turbulent times. Each narrative offers a compelling exploration of characters searching for the true essence of freedom and the price they are willing to pay for it. This is an intellectually stimulating read for those interested in philosophy and the human psyche.
Recommended Reading Order
An extraordinary picture of life in France during the critical eight days before the signing of the fateful Munich Pact and the subsequent takeover of Czechoslovakia in September 1938. Translated from the French by Eric Sutton.
June 1940 was the summer of defeat for the French soldiers, deserted by their officers, utterly demoralized, awaiting the Armistice. Day by day, hour by hour, Iron in the Soul unfolds what men thought and felt and did as France fell. Men who shrugged, men who ran, men who fought and tragic men like Mathieu, who had dedicated his life to finding personal freedom, now overwhelmed by remorse and bitterness, who must learn to kill. Iron in the Soul, the third volume of Sartre's Roads to Freedom Trilogy, is a harrowing depiction of war and what it means to lose.
Related books
The first English translation of Sartre's unfinished fourth volume of Roads of Freedom, exploring themes central to Sartrean existentialism.