This is a subtle and evocative study of character and relationships. I read it some 40 years ago as I was improving my French, which forced me to absorb it attentively at a slower rate and probably enjoy it more. ( )

Sobre el fondo del mundo teatral y artístico del París de la primera mitad del siglo XX, Simone de Beauvoir recrea con sólido talento la creación, evolución y disgregación de un triángulo amoroso formado por dos adultos y una jovencita que, a su vez, sirve a la autora para poner en cuestión el modelo burgués de pareja y de familia. En esta impactante novela aparecen ya los grandes temas que caracterizan la obra de Simone de Beauvoir (la libertad, la acción y la libertad individuales), y la profundidad de los personajes y la exploración acerca de sus sentimientos que lleva a acabo la autora convierten La invitada en una de sus mejores obras.

a bourgeois cul de sac of neuroses ( )

Aside from it being a racist book, it's a pretty honest look into the internal work of non-monogamous relations ( )

And wanted to see how Ms de Beauvoir treated it in her fiction. Reading this semi-autobiographical novel did give me a look at a practical application of that philosophy.

Oh, and it's also a very interesting story. Francoise and Pierre have a deep and open relationship. They befriend a young woman (Xaviere) but their attempts to create a “perfect triangle” are unsuccessful. Partly because their philosophy doesn't align well with human nature. And partly because Xaviere herself is a narcissist – or maybe she's just young when most of us are that way to some extent. The depth of human emotions and motivations portrayed though the characters' iterations is fascinating to watch. Through the novel, we see Francoise change from someone devoted to her partner and to a philosophy, to someone who comes into her own as a person.

So glad I read this. ( )