I'm wondering if any of you have ever tried to tackle Being and Nothingness by Jean-Paul Sartre? I was really getting into existentialism about a year ago and I grabbed this book because it was dubbed the quintessential text on existentialism. I didn't know what I was in for. After you read the first page or so, you damn near want to go back and read it again and this time highlight and take notes. It's a very informative text but at times it can be too wordy. Which sounds like an ignorant statement, I know. But it's a pretty difficult read. If you've had any experiences with this collection of essays I would like to discuss it further with you. ________________________________
i find that a lot of the must have existentialist books are hard to get through im a little intimidated to tackle any of them, and the ones that try to simplify it all are too straightforward in a way
I read exerpts from that book. I truly enjoy existentialist philosophy... Satre, Nietsche, De Buvour, etc.
A good way to approach Sartre: start with his novels and plays. Age of Reason, No Exit, The Flies and others all touch on bits of existential philosophy. It's a bit easier when you've had the ideas presented to you this way first, imo... I've been pecking away at Being and Nothingness for years now... a chapter here and there, sometimes just a few paragraphs, usually with months in between. I figure in ten or so years, I'll be through it, lol....
There's a great audio-book on tape called 'No Excuses!' It's all about the history of existentialism, and has a good chapter on Sarte.
