Tete-a-Tete

“Enthralling . . . Here we find an ugly, walleyed existentialist philosopher, the elegantly beautiful author of The Second Sex and the Gallic equivalent of a bevy of young starlets who share the bed of one or the other--or sometimes both. Readers will turn these pages alternately mesmerized and appalled.” — Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World

Passionate, freethinking existentialist philosopher-writers Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre are one of the worlds legendary couples. Their committed but notoriously open union generated no end of controversy in their day. Biographer Hazel Rowley offers the first dual portrait of these two colossal figures and their intense, often embattled relationship. Through original interviews and access to new primary sources, Rowley portrays Sartre and Beauvoir up close.

Tête-à-Tête magnificently details the passion, daring, humor, and contradictions of a remarkably unorthodox relationship.

But could a bond forged in radical freedom survive the pressures of fame, politics, and the jealousy of their many other lovers?

The Pact of an Open Relationship: The story of their committed but famously open union, where ‘essential’ love coexisted with a revolving door of ‘contingent’ affairs—sometimes shared. A Definitive Dual Portrait: Go beyond the individual myths to see Sartre and Beauvoir up close for the first time, detailing their intense, often embattled connection through new sources and original interviews. Existentialism in Practice: Witness how two of the 20th century’s greatest minds attempted to live their philosophy of freedom, confronting questions of ethics, jealousy, and responsibility in their daily lives. Parisian Intellectuals in a Time of Tumult: Explore the vibrant and volatile world of mid-century Paris, from the cafés of Saint-Germain-des-Prés to the political upheavals of World War II and the Cold War.