"The Age of Reason"

I am currently reading "The Age of Reason" by Jean-Paul Sartre, have been wanting to read him for a while but only recently found a cheap one that I could get my hands on and immediately I noticed that his style is very much what I imagined it to be: poetic realism.

It reminded me of Erich Maria Remarque (who is my absolute favourite but that might change as I continue to explore other writers from the Lost Generation) in the way he describes the details; like objects in the room, the characters and their clothes, the lighting, everything. The vivid imagery is alive in his book and oh-so-captivating, it invites you in, it makes you sit down on a comfy couch and experience it all, as if you are a translucent, transcendent being that can see everything, can experience everything; all through the power of his words. For some reason, I felt connected to every single line I was reading in the book and it must have been the realism of the human emotions that he conveys, that he describes. The philosophical analysis of conscience and love and relationships hits hard on my own life since currently, I seem to be doing a lot of that. I think one always analyzes philosophically their life, their actions, their situation whenever what they are experiencing is troubling, problematic and sleep-depriving.

I would like to share a couple of paragraphs that have left an impression and the desire to write them down (and maybe even leave them as a note to my boyfriend to make him realize how I feel, maybe Sartre's words will do the trick in making him understand).

"Well, it's that same lucidity you fuss about so much. You're so absurdly scared of being your own dupe, my poor boy, that you would back out of the finest adventure in the world rather than risk telling yourself a lie." p.13 (I can relate, my poor self :(! )

-"You think I'm lying to myself?"
-"No--anyway, one can't ever know. But I don't think so. Still, do you know what I do believe? That you are beginning to sterilize yourself a little. I thought that today. Everything is so neat and tidy in your mind; it smells of clean linen; it's as though you had just come out of a drying-room. But there's a want of shade. There's nothing useless, or hesitant, or underhand about you now. It's all high noon. And don't tell me this is all for my benefit. You're moving down your own incline; you've acquired the taste for self-analysis" p.14

The dialog is between Mathieu and Marcelle, they are lovers and she is about to tell him that she is pregnant, the first time this has happened in 7 years (which from the many times it is repeated, seems to be a pretty big thing in those times, it appears people got pregnant all the time :s). She is the one analyzing him and telling him that he has started sterilizing himself (I thought that was genius :D).

Anyway, will continue reading now and write down some more paragraphs tomorrow. Good night, readers of all ages whether of reason or illusions :)