TROY CROWHURST answers “Did depressing, existential works like...”

Erica Miles asked this question about Nausea:

Did depressing, existential works like this contribute to other readers' confusion about life with no meaning?

TROY CROWHURST I can understand how this novel can come across as pretty miserable. Sartre was renown for his negative ideas, famously quoted as saying: 'Hell is oth…moreI can understand how this novel can come across as pretty miserable. Sartre was renown for his negative ideas, famously quoted as saying: 'Hell is other people'. His point though was that by stressing the meaninglessness of life, we are 'free' to create that meaning ourselves 'authentically'. You'd need to check that out. In truth this novel doesn't take us past the first negative stage really and I was told at college that he was probably developing his ideas literally as he was writing this novel. Funny that he was a really social guy always round the Parisien cafes with a reputation as being generous with his tips! More interesting still, is that he was particularly ugly and in recognising his own ugliness and I feel that he as inspired in his negative thinking on humanity ( Only my thoughts though!) Hope you weren't too depressed by it!?(less)

flag

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more