Jean Paul Sartre - The Wall

In this single meeting study we will read the title story in The Wall, Sartre’s only collection of short fiction, published in 1939. Generally considered to be Sartre’s masterpiece, the story takes place during the Spanish Civil War, in a prison cell as some partisans await their execution.

Sartre is  known for his difficult philosophical works (Being and Nothingness) and some very long literary excursions (The Roads to Freedom). The Wall however is a different proposition. In this short story Sartre shows how philosophy is really about our lived experience and how philosophy and literature are one and the same. Thus, though we will encounter the main themes of his existentialist ideas, it is Sartre the literary writer who shines here. We will become captivated by this masterful narrative which mixes horror and humour, tragedy and comedy, and which culminates in a surprising finale.

JOINING DETAILS:

• Single meeting study led by Emilia Steuerman
• Monday 2 March, 6.00-8.00 pm (GMT)
• £40 for two-hour meeting
• Recommended edition: The Wall, ISBN13: 978-0714548517
• N.B. Priority in booking will be given to participants in The Existentialist Salon