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Existentialism
by Robert C. Solomon • 1974
No fixed human nature, only your choices. Each one invents you and implicates everyone else.
4.07
384
Existentialism Summary
Existentialism 92%
No fixed human nature, only your choices. Each one invents you and implicates everyone else.
by Robert C. Solomon 1974
4.07
384 ratings
Existentialism
by Thomas R. Flynn • 2006
Your choices are all you are: a brief guide to the philosophy of radical freedom.
3.49
2k+
Existentialism Summary
Existentialism 92%
Your choices are all you are: a brief guide to the philosophy of radical freedom.
by Thomas R. Flynn 2006
3.49
2k+ ratings
The Age of Defeat
by Colin Wilson • 1959
Why the hero vanished: affluence, conformity, and philosophy all taught us we don't matter.
4.00
59
The Age of Defeat Summary
The Age of Defeat 91%
Why the hero vanished: affluence, conformity, and philosophy all taught us we don't matter.
by Colin Wilson 1959
4.00
59 ratings
The Ethics of Ambiguity
by Simone de Beauvoir • 1947
Freedom is never just your own: the only genuine ethics is to will it for everyone.
4.17
8k+
The Ethics of Ambiguity Summary
The Ethics of Ambiguity 91%
Freedom is never just your own: the only genuine ethics is to will it for everyone.
by Simone de Beauvoir 1947
4.17
8k+ ratings
Being and Nothingness
by Jean-Paul Sartre • 1943
Consciousness is a hole in being. What pours through is freedom, and it terrifies us.
3.99
35k+
Being and Nothingness Summary
Being and Nothingness 91%
Consciousness is a hole in being. What pours through is freedom, and it terrifies us.
by Jean-Paul Sartre 1943
3.99
35k+ ratings
What Is Existentialism?
by Simone de Beauvoir • 1944
No fixed nature, no cosmic plan, no excuses: what existentialism actually says about being human.
3.91
2k+
What Is Existentialism? Summary
What Is Existentialism? 91%
No fixed nature, no cosmic plan, no excuses: what existentialism actually says about being human.
by Simone de Beauvoir 1944
3.91
2k+ ratings
A Life Worth Living
by Robert Zaretsky • 2013
The universe is silent, life has no given meaning. Camus: that is where freedom begins.
4.00
647
A Life Worth Living Summary
A Life Worth Living 91%
The universe is silent, life has no given meaning. Camus: that is where freedom begins.
by Robert Zaretsky 2013
4.00
647 ratings
At the Existentialist Café
by Sarah Bakewell • 2016
The existentialists built a philosophy from cafés, war, and each other's complicated lives.
4.24
20k+
At the Existentialist Café Summary
At the Existentialist Café 90%
The existentialists built a philosophy from cafés, war, and each other's complicated lives.
by Sarah Bakewell 2016
4.24
20k+ ratings
Nausea
by Jean-Paul Sartre • 1938
A historian's diary becomes a record of his unraveling as ordinary objects turn hostile and unreal.
3.93
142k+
Nausea Summary
Nausea 90%
A historian's diary becomes a record of his unraveling as ordinary objects turn hostile and unreal.
by Jean-Paul Sartre 1938
3.93
142k+ ratings
The Existentialist's Guide to Death, the Universe and Nothingness
by Gary Cox • 2011
You are free in a way you never asked for. This is what that actually costs.
4.12
121
The Existentialist's Guide to Death, the Universe and Nothingness Summary
The Existentialist's Guide to Death, the Universe and Nothingness 90%
You are free in a way you never asked for. This is what that actually costs.
by Gary Cox 2011
4.12
121 ratings
Huis clos
by Jean-Paul Sartre • 1944
Three strangers arrive in hell expecting torture. Instead they get a drawing room and each other.
4.11
47k+
Huis clos Summary
Huis clos 90%
Three strangers arrive in hell expecting torture. Instead they get a drawing room and each other.
by Jean-Paul Sartre 1944
4.11
47k+ ratings
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five
by Curtis Smith • 2016
A writer unpacks the alien logic and buried grief inside Vonnegut's time-jumping anti-war classic.
4.27
41
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five Summary
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five 90%
A writer unpacks the alien logic and buried grief inside Vonnegut's time-jumping anti-war classic.
by Curtis Smith 2016
4.27
41 ratings
Nine Stories
by J.D. Salinger • 1948
Nine stories: children see what adults miss, the wounded self-destruct, and grace arrives uninvited.
4.18
150k+
Nine Stories Summary
Nine Stories 90%
Nine stories: children see what adults miss, the wounded self-destruct, and grace arrives uninvited.
by J.D. Salinger 1948
4.18
150k+ ratings
The Words
by Jean-Paul Sartre • 1963
Philosopher's childhood: every gesture staged for adults, every written word a bid for freedom.
3.73
10k+
The Words Summary
The Words 90%
Philosopher's childhood: every gesture staged for adults, every written word a bid for freedom.
by Jean-Paul Sartre 1963
3.73
10k+ ratings
The Clown
by Heinrich Böll • 1963
A clown in postwar Bonn unravels after the woman he loves leaves him for a Catholic.
3.93
32k+
The Clown Summary
The Clown 90%
A clown in postwar Bonn unravels after the woman he loves leaves him for a Catholic.
by Heinrich Böll 1963
3.93
32k+ ratings
Philosophy of Existence
by Karl Jaspers • 1938
Objects aren't real. The real is a horizon you inhabit, never grasp, and awaken to.
3.79
323
Philosophy of Existence Summary
Philosophy of Existence 90%
Objects aren't real. The real is a horizon you inhabit, never grasp, and awaken to.
by Karl Jaspers 1938
3.79
323 ratings
Lyrical and Critical Essays
by Albert Camus • 1970
Poverty and sunlight taught Camus a philosophy without resentment. These essays are its laboratory.
4.31
1k+
Lyrical and Critical Essays Summary
Lyrical and Critical Essays 90%
Poverty and sunlight taught Camus a philosophy without resentment. These essays are its laboratory.
by Albert Camus 1970
4.31
1k+ ratings
Being and Time
by Martin Heidegger • 1927
Reality's biggest question has been forgotten: start with the anxious, mortal creature who asks it.
4.05
28k+
Being and Time Summary
Being and Time 90%
Reality's biggest question has been forgotten: start with the anxious, mortal creature who asks it.
by Martin Heidegger 1927
4.05
28k+ ratings
The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays
by Albert Camus • 1942
The only real philosophical question is suicide. The answer is not hope, but revolt.
4.21
66k+
The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays Summary
The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays 90%
The only real philosophical question is suicide. The answer is not hope, but revolt.
by Albert Camus 1942
4.21
66k+ ratings
Very Little...Almost Nothing
by Simon Critchley • 2004
Nihilism is the norm after God. Creative resistance through literature is how meaning gets remade.
3.89
132
Very Little...Almost Nothing Summary
Very Little...Almost Nothing 89%
Nihilism is the norm after God. Creative resistance through literature is how meaning gets remade.
by Simon Critchley 2004
3.89
132 ratings
The Myth of Sisyphus
by Albert Camus • 1942
Indifferent universe, no cosmic meaning: why not end it? Camus answers with Sisyphus.
4.17
99k+
The Myth of Sisyphus Summary
The Myth of Sisyphus 89%
Indifferent universe, no cosmic meaning: why not end it? Camus answers with Sisyphus.
by Albert Camus 1942
4.17
99k+ ratings
The Fall
by Albert Camus • 1956
In an Amsterdam bar, a disgraced Parisian lawyer confesses the story of his moral collapse.
4.03
138k+
The Fall Summary
The Fall 89%
In an Amsterdam bar, a disgraced Parisian lawyer confesses the story of his moral collapse.
by Albert Camus 1956
4.03
138k+ ratings
Le Rivage des Syrtes
by Julien Gracq • 1951
On a dead sea, a restless young officer guards a war three centuries silent.
4.01
2k+
Le Rivage des Syrtes Summary
Le Rivage des Syrtes 89%
On a dead sea, a restless young officer guards a war three centuries silent.
by Julien Gracq 1951
4.01
2k+ ratings
Homo Faber
by Max Frisch • 1957
An engineer who trusts only statistics meets a young woman on a ship who will unravel everything.
3.68
32k+
Homo Faber Summary
Homo Faber 89%
An engineer who trusts only statistics meets a young woman on a ship who will unravel everything.
by Max Frisch 1957
3.68
32k+ ratings
Albert Camus
by Olivier Todd • 1996
The Nobel laureate who preached justice but found none for his own homeland.
4.03
837
Albert Camus Summary
Albert Camus 89%
The Nobel laureate who preached justice but found none for his own homeland.
by Olivier Todd 1996
4.03
837 ratings
The Walnut Trees of Altenburg
by André Malraux • 1989
A prisoner in Chartres Cathedral traces his family through two wars to ask what remains human.
3.58
102
The Walnut Trees of Altenburg Summary
The Walnut Trees of Altenburg 89%
A prisoner in Chartres Cathedral traces his family through two wars to ask what remains human.
by André Malraux 1989
3.58
102 ratings
Heidegger
by Michael Watts • 2014
Heidegger demystified: the freedom found in facing death, and the worldview technology imposes.
4.40
143
Heidegger Summary
Heidegger 89%
Heidegger demystified: the freedom found in facing death, and the worldview technology imposes.
by Michael Watts 2014
4.40
143 ratings
Albert Camus
by Robert Zaretsky • 2010
Camus wrote against the death penalty. He stayed silent on Algeria. The life between those stands.
4.10
171
Albert Camus Summary
Albert Camus 89%
Camus wrote against the death penalty. He stayed silent on Algeria. The life between those stands.
by Robert Zaretsky 2010
4.10
171 ratings
The Rebel
by Albert Camus • 1951
Rebellion either creates solidarity or becomes murder: a journey from blasphemy to the guillotine.
4.13
19k+
The Rebel Summary
The Rebel 89%
Rebellion either creates solidarity or becomes murder: a journey from blasphemy to the guillotine.
by Albert Camus 1951
4.13
19k+ ratings
[The Music of Chance] [By
by Paul Auster • 1990
A poker loss traps a drifter building a stone wall to buy back his freedom.
3.93
14k+
[The Music of Chance] [By Summary
[The Music of Chance] [By 89%
A poker loss traps a drifter building a stone wall to buy back his freedom.
by Paul Auster 1990
3.93
14k+ ratings
The Diaries of Franz Kafka
by Franz Kafka • 2023
Kafka's diaries: the body hatred, the office dread, the nights his fiction tried to escape.
4.28
577
The Diaries of Franz Kafka Summary
The Diaries of Franz Kafka 89%
Kafka's diaries: the body hatred, the office dread, the nights his fiction tried to escape.
by Franz Kafka 2023
4.28
577 ratings
Identity
by Milan Kundera • 1997
A woman who believes men no longer see her receives anonymous letters insisting she is beautiful.
3.69
34k+
Identity Summary
Identity 89%
A woman who believes men no longer see her receives anonymous letters insisting she is beautiful.
by Milan Kundera 1997
3.69
34k+ ratings
A Happy Death
by Albert Camus • 1971
An Algiers clerk murders a wealthy philosopher, convinced a fortune buys the time happiness demands.
3.80
26k+
A Happy Death Summary
A Happy Death 89%
An Algiers clerk murders a wealthy philosopher, convinced a fortune buys the time happiness demands.
by Albert Camus 1971
3.80
26k+ ratings
Skills in Existential Counselling & Psychotherapy
by Emmy Van Deurzen • 2011
Existential philosophy as clinical practice: phenomenological skills for meaning and mortality.
4.31
124
Skills in Existential Counselling & Psychotherapy Summary
Skills in Existential Counselling & Psychotherapy 89%
Existential philosophy as clinical practice: phenomenological skills for meaning and mortality.
by Emmy Van Deurzen 2011
4.31
124 ratings
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
by Milan Kundera • 1984
A Czech surgeon's womanizing and his wife's jealousy meet the 1968 Soviet invasion.
4.10
552k+
The Unbearable Lightness of Being Summary
The Unbearable Lightness of Being 89%
A Czech surgeon's womanizing and his wife's jealousy meet the 1968 Soviet invasion.
by Milan Kundera 1984
4.10
552k+ ratings
Introduction to Metaphysics
by Martin Heidegger • 1929
Before any science, one question: what does it mean to exist? Philosophy forgot, and reality shrank.
4.03
4k+
Introduction to Metaphysics Summary
Introduction to Metaphysics 89%
Before any science, one question: what does it mean to exist? Philosophy forgot, and reality shrank.
by Martin Heidegger 1929
4.03
4k+ ratings
The Outsider
by Colin Wilson • 1956
The outsider feels reality too sharply to accept ordinary life. That crisis destroys, or awakens.
4.03
5k+
The Outsider Summary
The Outsider 89%
The outsider feels reality too sharply to accept ordinary life. That crisis destroys, or awakens.
by Colin Wilson 1956
4.03
5k+ ratings
Brave Genius
by Sean B. Carroll • 2013
Forged in the Resistance, a philosopher and a biologist fought the Cold War with different weapons.
4.28
727
Brave Genius Summary
Brave Genius 89%
Forged in the Resistance, a philosopher and a biologist fought the Cold War with different weapons.
by Sean B. Carroll 2013
4.28
727 ratings
Carpe Diem
by Roman Alexander Krznaric • 2017
Living fully was hijacked by shopping, scheduling, and screens. Five forgotten paths to reclaim it.
3.76
385
Carpe Diem Summary
Carpe Diem 89%
Living fully was hijacked by shopping, scheduling, and screens. Five forgotten paths to reclaim it.
by Roman Alexander Krznaric 2017
3.76
385 ratings
The Courage to Be
by Paul Tillich • 1952
Anxiety is the awareness you might not exist. Courage is the act that says yes anyway.
4.09
4k+
The Courage to Be Summary
The Courage to Be 89%
Anxiety is the awareness you might not exist. Courage is the act that says yes anyway.
by Paul Tillich 1952
4.09
4k+ ratings
The Ruined Map
by Kōbō Abe • 1967
When a salaryman vanishes, a detective follows a matchbox into a city where maps lead nowhere.
3.45
3k+
The Ruined Map Summary
The Ruined Map 88%
When a salaryman vanishes, a detective follows a matchbox into a city where maps lead nowhere.
by Kōbō Abe 1967
3.45
3k+ ratings
The First Man
by Albert Camus • 1994
A fatherless boy in Algiers. A silent mother. A teacher who sees what he could become.
3.96
12k+
The First Man Summary
The First Man 88%
A fatherless boy in Algiers. A silent mother. A teacher who sees what he could become.
by Albert Camus 1994
3.96
12k+ ratings
Ethics and Infinity
by Emmanuel Levinas • 1985
You are responsible before you are a self. The other's face upends philosophy.
3.88
721
Ethics and Infinity Summary
Ethics and Infinity 88%
You are responsible before you are a self. The other's face upends philosophy.
by Emmanuel Levinas 1985
3.88
721 ratings
All Things are Possible
by Lev Shestov • 1905
Reason is a trap, morality is vengeance, and the outcast knows what philosophy will not say.
4.09
314
All Things are Possible Summary
All Things are Possible 88%
Reason is a trap, morality is vengeance, and the outcast knows what philosophy will not say.
by Lev Shestov 1905
4.09
314 ratings
Caligula and Three Other Plays
by Albert Camus • 1949
Four plays by Albert Camus where grief becomes tyranny, silence kills, and justice demands blood.
4.07
3k+
Caligula and Three Other Plays Summary
Caligula and Three Other Plays 88%
Four plays by Albert Camus where grief becomes tyranny, silence kills, and justice demands blood.
by Albert Camus 1949
4.07
3k+ ratings
Why Does the World Exist?
by Jim Holt • 2011
Physics, philosophy, and theology each claim to know why anything exists. None of them agree.
3.81
7k+
Why Does the World Exist? Summary
Why Does the World Exist? 88%
Physics, philosophy, and theology each claim to know why anything exists. None of them agree.
by Jim Holt 2011
3.81
7k+ ratings
The Moviegoer by Walker Percy
by Walker Percy • 1961
A New Orleans stockbroker drifts through pleasure and routine, searching for a life that feels true.
3.64
31k+
The Moviegoer by Walker Percy Summary
The Moviegoer by Walker Percy 88%
A New Orleans stockbroker drifts through pleasure and routine, searching for a life that feels true.
by Walker Percy 1961
3.64
31k+ ratings
Métaphysique des tubes
by Amélie Nothomb • 2000
A Belgian infant in Japan stays mute for two years. White chocolate awakens a furious consciousness.
3.98
26k+
Métaphysique des tubes Summary
Métaphysique des tubes 88%
A Belgian infant in Japan stays mute for two years. White chocolate awakens a furious consciousness.
by Amélie Nothomb 2000
3.98
26k+ ratings
The Man Without Content
by Giorgio Agamben • 1970
Plato banished poets for their power. Aesthetics made art safe, and the artist empty.
4.15
383
The Man Without Content Summary
The Man Without Content 88%
Plato banished poets for their power. Aesthetics made art safe, and the artist empty.
by Giorgio Agamben 1970
4.15
383 ratings
The Erasers
by Alain Robbe-Grillet • 1953
A detective hunts a killer through a maze of canals, unaware the victim faked his death.
3.77
2k+
The Erasers Summary
The Erasers 88%
A detective hunts a killer through a maze of canals, unaware the victim faked his death.
by Alain Robbe-Grillet 1953
3.77
2k+ ratings
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