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The Image of Her

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Brief Description
A compelling novel about the requirement to be perfect, without losing sight of yourself — by the greatest feminist of the twentieth century, Simone de Beauvoir. The Image of Her follows Laurence, a woman who appears to live an ideal life. Her weekends are spent in... Read More
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A compelling novel about the requirement to be perfect, without losing sight of yourself — by the greatest feminist of the twentieth century, Simone de Beauvoir.

The Image of Her follows Laurence, a woman who appears to live an ideal life. Her weekends are spent in the country, weekdays in Paris, encapsulating all the trappings of 1960s French bourgeoisie. She has money, a handsome husband, two daughters, and a lover. Laurence also enjoys a successful career as an advertising copywriter, although she often finds her mind crafting copy at home while dreaming of domesticity at the office.

However, Laurence's experience of life has always been overshadowed by the expectation of perfection. It is only when her 10-year-old daughter, Catherine, begins to express her anguish about the world's injustices that Laurence is compelled to act, confronting a life that values image over truth.

Translated by Lauren Elkin

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781784879907

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 01 May 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage Classics

Contributors:

  • Translated by Lauren Elkin

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 136.0mm

Height: 206.0mm

Weight: 281g

Pages: 208

About the Author

Simone de Beauvoir (Author) Simone de Beauvoir was born in Paris in 1908. In 1929 she became the youngest person ever to obtain the agregation in philosophy at the Sorbonne, placing second to Jean-Paul Sartre. She taught at the lycees at Marseille and Rouen from 1931-1937, and in Paris from 1938-1943. After the war, she emerged as one of the leaders of the existentialist movement, working with Sartre on Les Temps Mordernes. The author of several books including The Mandarins (1957) which was awarded the Prix Goncourt, de Beauvoir was one of the most influential thinkers of her generation. She died in 1986. Lauren Elkin (Translator) Lauren Elkin is the author of several books, including Fl neuse- Women Walk the City, a Radio 4 Book of the Week, a New York Times Notable Book of 2017, and a finalist for the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel award for the art of the essay. Her essays on art, literature, and culture have appeared in the London Review of Books, the New York Times, Granta, Harper's, Le Monde, Les Inrockuptibles, and Frieze, among others. She is also an award-winning translator, most recently of Simone de Beauvoir's previously unpublished novel The Inseparables. After twenty years in Paris, she now lives in London.

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