In this book, Sartre explains what existentialism is and clarifies its objections. He defines the different types of existentialism, and explains which type he stands for. It can be a surprisingly understandable read at some parts but Sartre’s thinking can be out of reach for me at the present. Since this book was originally a public lecture, there are questions from the audience that he answers and this was included in the book.
The second part of the book is Sartre’s commentary on Albert Camus’ novel, The Stranger. His insight on Camus’ deliberate use of American writing style or technique to provide a sense of unease and disconnectedness was key for me in understanding Albert Camus’ work. What I like most is how Sartre provides examples of how other writers would write a particular sentence versus how Albert Camus would write the sentence. Sartre makes the case that in The Stranger, each sentence is an isolated unit, an island. Even with transition words used in between the sentences, they merely juxtapose the ideas and not link them together.
Overall, if you want to gain a better understanding of existentialism or want to understand Albert Camus’ The Stranger, this book is one of the best starting point.
