This is a French novel written in 1954 by Simone de Beauvoir, just recently translated and to be released on September 7 …..35 yrs after the author’s death. The Inseparables tells the story of a simple friendship and all that it can teach us. The manuscript, a shocking and intimate story of a life-and-death friendship, was published more than half a century later by her foster daughter. Nine-year-old Sylvie - in whose form Simone de Beauvoir painted herself as a child - attends the Adélaide Catholic Girls' School, where a new student arrives one autumn day: a short, brown-haired, lively, naughty little girl, Andrée. The two of them soon make friends, fried and cooked together. Their teachers also call them: they are inseparable. Sylvie is enchanted by Andrée, admiring her sharp wit, boldness, versatile talent.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and publisher.

I very much appreciate being gifted this copy of Inseparable by Simone de Beauvoir, and the opportunity to read & review it. Thanks to the publisher.

A previously unpublished book by an amazing author? I loved every minute.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is a very short but very well told story about female friendship. Especially in a time when it was tough to find a place for yourself as a woman that wasn't tied to religion, family or some other obligation. It describes two girls that meet very young at an exlusiving private school. The respect and love for each other is evident on every page. Their will to fight for each other and what is the best for each other, even in the midst of a religion that didn't give them a voice and adults in their lives forcing them to fit certain roles. Interesting to learn it's based on the author's own friendship as a young girl. I definitely look forward to reading more from this author.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

This is a candid and gorgeous portrait of an intimate relationship between two young women at the height of stepping into the sophisticated and confusing emotional lives of adulthood. We follow Sylvie through the navigation of her ten years with her best friend and confidante Andrée. From understanding the ins and outs of the post-World War I period, to philosophizing on love both romantic and platonic, to trying to outsmart the adults’ expectations of them in a world that cared very little for the whims and adventures of young women except to control them into fitting into the complicated and patriarchal social roles of the era.

This was a gorgeous book, and it is unsurprising that Beauvoir based this on her own adolescence and childhood relationship with Zaza Lacoin. The purity and stark realism present in this piece showcase not only an adept portrait of quote a few wholly believably three-dimensional people, but Beauvoir’s ability to weave real events into such a beautifully structured, funny, independent, and tragic fiction. Beauvoir does it so effectively in such a short piece, and the relationship is beautifully captured in a shockingly slim volume that peers into what many of us not only have not experienced but what we never will. What really shocks me is that this was JUST published in 2021, closing in on a hundred years since she wrote it and almost fifty since her death as the copy suggests it was “too intimate to publish during her lifetime.” Honestly, a terrible crime as it is one of her best works and a gorgeous mirror of the fragility of our friendships, love affairs, and obligations to one another. A beautiful little masterpiece gorgeously translated by Sandra Smith.

I found this an interesting but short read. Sylvie and Andrée met in France shortly after World Ware One ended. They were in elementary school when they met and the book follows their journeys over the next decade. They were best friends and explored events and feelings with each other. The reader gets a glimpse of the world through their eyes. The book is translated and no issues with the flow of the book.

Inseparable
by Simone de Beauvoir
Pub Date: 07 Sep 2021

A short and important piece of unearthed fiction.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞: A tale of two best friends spread over a decade. Sylvie, a cautious observer, and Andrée, a free-spirited marred by a near death experience, meet in their Parisian day school. Instant confidants, they tackle everything the period has to offer from the mysteries of girlhood to the struggles of post-War France. Andrée becomes increasingly reckless and rebellious, while Sylvie admires from afar. Together they show us the weight of the secrets women carry into adulthood as burdens for one another in a world that did not pay much attention to the wills and desires of young women.

Deemed too intimate to publish during Simone de Beauvoir’s life, this short novel gives us a peak inside de Beauvoir’s own coming-of-age; her transformative, tragic friendship with her childhood friend Zaza Lacoin; and how her youthful relationships shaped her philosophy. Translated brilliantly by Sandra Smith, de Beauvoir remains a magnificent wordsmith.

Read if you:
🏡Love love in all its many forms
🏡Want a short & engrossing story
🏡Have a BFF to share this with
🏡Fan out over never-before-published work

Thank you to Ecco & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#cold #days #warm #books #reading #bookstagram #fiction #lovestory #lit #feminism #love #strong #women #friendship #netgalley #inseparable

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was my first novel by Beauvoir, although The SecondI Sex has been on my TBR shelf for years. It's the story of two girlhood friends and spans years of their friendship. Although interesting at times, it is very slow-moving. If you're a fan, read it. If not...you won't miss this book in your life.

Inseparable by Simone de Beauvoir

Fans and admirers of Simone de Beauvoir need only know that this is a never before published novel from early in her career. They will not be disappointed.

Inseparable relates the tale of two women who have a profoundly close friendship from the time they are young schoolchildren. Though fictionalized, the story is closely based on people and events from de Beauvoir's own life.

The introduction by Margaret Atwood, and the afterword by de Beauvoir's daughter, Sylvie, offer invaluable context and insight as to how the novel relates to the author’s life and career.

Readers of period fiction will enjoy the vivid depiction of life in the time between the world wars.

The seeds of the author’s feminism can be seen in her description of the restrictions imposed on her friend by society and familial demands.

This novel is certainly worth reading for the light it sheds on de Beauvoir's early influences, though it stands well on its own merit as fiction.

Simone de Beauvoir’s semi-autobiographical novel written in 1954 is just now being published for the first time. This coming-of- age story is based in part on her relationship with her childhood friend, who died at a young age. In the novel Sylvie meets Andree at school and they have ten years of close friendship in France in the period between the two world wars. Andree feels trapped by her family and religion, while Sylvie is more of a free thinker. This beautifully written work deals with social class, the oppressive influence of church and family on women’s lives.

Regarding style and readability:
I read this book on my phone's Kindle app. I believe that the layout would definitely be improved if the book is edited for publishing, with potentially more breaks between scenes visually. I would also hope for a slightly more detailed lead-in to the Afterword.

There were some years in the middle that were a little lean on detail but the characters were well developed and the transition from child to adult was fairly easily followed, although more time in those middle years might have made it a little smoother. The rigidity of gender and class roles of the mid-century - coupled with fervent religiosity playing out across these girls' lives made this reader feel trapped right along with the characters, hoping for a better outcome, but despairing of it at the same time. I found much of the book, including the central relationship very moving. I would like to read the other iterations of the semi-autobiographical friendship that are referenced, including "Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter."

I understand Simone de Beauvoir's place in history as a feminist, writer, etc. This newly published book written by her many years ago does not shed any additional light on her place in history or her feelings towards another woman. I found it to be dated and not that interesting.

The relationship between the two women was interesting but I felt the story ended abruptly. I was left feeling that something had been left out.

4.5 stars. I loved this haunting story of friendship. Something about it has a Sally Rooney feel, but obviously is purely Simone de Beauvoir. This is the fictional story of two friends whose friendship is sadly cut short by death, and mirrors a real life relationship between Simone and her friend Zaza. It is short and easy to read through, and I didn’t want to put it down once I started. I had never read anything by Beauvoir before this, but now I’d very much like to continue. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Simone and her friend Zaza were once coined inseparable by their teachers. In this short autobiographical novel they take on the identity of Sylvie and Andree. The intensity, complexities and sensitivities of school girl friendship are beautifully explored while deBeauvoir’s prose breath life into the path they share as they come of age in Post-war France. Wildly different and extremely loyal, they tangle with what they know and what believe as the world around them is changing. Filled with heartfelt emotion, tragic loss and the gift of what it is to truly love and be loved.
My thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for the honor of receiving an ARC in exchange for an honest book review..

(I thank NetGalley for a ebook ARC of this novel.)
This was a speedy, but by no means an easy, read. While it is the fictional story of Sylvie and her best friend, Andree, it is based very closely on de Beauvoir's own childhood friend, Zara. The two meet in school in post WWI Paris, and become fast friends, "inseparable" as the title states. Told in the first person by Sylvie, she is the more steady of the two while Andree is a romantic and more ruled by her emotions, causing her to be more rebellious against her controlling mother. As she lay dying of an unspecified illness, she says to her mother "Don't be sad, there's a problem child in every family and that's me." The writing is very intense and intimate, and Andree is quite dramatic, but I didn't really connect with her, or with Sylvie either. This book was not published in de Beauvoir's lifetime, this translation includes an afterword that provides much detail and insight into young Simone and Zara and some of their letters. I found both of these things to be more interesting than the novel itself. Full disclosure, I have never read de Beauvoir, and probably never will at this point.

I’m not at all surprised that this book is based on real life events of the author. While fiction, it reads more like a memoir. It’s the only book by Simone de Beauvoir I’ve read, so I wouldn’t know how to place it among her other works, but it struck me as both heartfelt and sad. I’m always intrigued by the struggles women faced in society previously, and this book sheds light on some of the expectations of the time and the value of close female friendships.

Thank you to Ecco Books, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a free e-ARC of this book.

This book was beautifully written. It was my first reading of Simone de Beauvoir's work and won't be my last! The introduction by Margaret Atwood was an extra special touch.

Inseparable is about the love between girlfriends. It is experienced in diverse ways by the two, but bonds are shared that can never be broken - even after death. Grief and anger devastate the temporal Sylvie who is unable to save the spirit of her cherished Andree from the grip of duty to family and social pressures.

Women of all ages will identify with the tug of war between their passions and what is expected of them. So little has changed since the period in which this book was written. However, joy can always be found in the company of a girlfriend's laughter. This book will help you remember that.

I’ll preface my review with this disclaimer: before reading Inseparable I had never read anything by Simone de Beauvoir, so I have no context. With the exception of a quick peak at the final published edition to see if the format has been altered from the ARC, I am purposely not doing any research on her other work or her life until I’ve finished this review. I’d rather write as a complete de Beauvoir virgin than as one who scrabbles around online in an attempt to sound like I know what I’m talking about.

I haven’t read a lot of French fiction, so I appreciated the glimpse into family life in France in the early 20th century. Although both Sylvie and Andrée are expected to conform to the conventions of familial duty and Catholic dogma, there is a little warmth too. On Sylvie’s first day of school; she is hugged by the “young ladies” (Older students? Teachers?) on the first day of school, and the students’ mothers stay with their children, knitting as they sit in the back of the room. The teacher, as per the usual ritual, kisses each student on the forehead as they leave for the day. What a lovely tableau - an oasis of affection in a life that later becomes cold and filled with obligation, especially for Andrée.

This short novel would have been more pleasant to read if it hadn’t been divided into only two very long chapters; with no visual pauses in the narrative, it was a chore to read what was basically a wall of words. I also would have appreciated footnotes at the bottom of the page rather than asterisks referring to notes at the back of the book, but perhaps this was addressed in the final edition.
The excerpted letters at the end of the book are a pure portrait of the soul-level intimacy the two women shared. Both were eloquent – Zaza (the real Andrée) in particular. Without the layer of pretense inherent in the fictionalized account, their heart-to-heart connection is so much more bare and true. If the book consisted of just the letters between the two, I would buy it.

I can’t say the same of the actual novel, but I don’t presume that my opinion is relevant to de Beauvoir scholars. I’m sure this wasn’t presented as a frontlist title, and I know I am not the target audience. Inseparable, as a previously unpublished work by an author whose devotees assumed they’d read everything, will naturally appeal to de Beauvoir’s loyal readers.

5 stars

Inseparable by Simone de Beauvoir is a beautifully written, wistful tale of two girls whose friendship begins at age 9 and continues until the untimely death of one of them at age 22.
While autobiographical in nature, this is told as a novel, chronicling the meeting and deepening relationship between Sylvie (Beauvoir) and Andree (Zaza LaCoin). The girls share their private thoughts, secrets, and dreams of their futures, all in the context of post-WWI France. Strict religious beliefs play a huge role in Andree’s life, leading to her parents’ heavy-handed discipline and restrictions of Andree’s activities. Her spirited individualism is stifled and crushed over and over. Sylvie, the narrator, describes in aching prose Andree’s struggles against this family and religious “regime,” and Andree’s inability to control her life and her friendships, leading ultimately to incredible loneliness and her despair.
This book is short, but the prose is so moving that I savored every page slowly. Deemed “too intimate” to publish when written in 1954, there is nothing unsavory in the novel. Instead it is clearly a look back by the author to a time of deep friendship and closeness between two intelligent, inquisitive girls as they grow into young adulthood, with little support from the society in which they existed.
There is a wonderful introduction by Margaret Atwood, setting the stage for the reader to enjoy this work. I highly recommend this book for its profound look at female characters as they grow and develop, and the beautiful tender prose that Beauvoir so masterfully writes. What a joy to read this novel!

Thank you to Ecco Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.