A review by paulataua
She Came to Stay by Simone de Beauvoir

3.0

A 40s novel in which the open relationship project between Francoise and Pierre is threatened by the arrival of the young Xavier. On one level I am always fascinated with these period novels set in Paris where the characters are found at La Dome on boulevard du Montparnasse at 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning sitting around a table, listening to jazz , ordering another bottle of Chateau Margot, and talking about the meaning of life, and how they venture out into the early morning to walk the Parisian streets and drop into La Rotund for an early morning coffee. I can soak this world up forever. As for the story, I am well aware that one should read this from a metaphysical standpoint, and when I managed to do so, it proved interesting. Unfortunately, I kept being dragged into the rather mundane psychological drama being played out and that was much was less satisfying.