The Notebooks of Simone Weil

By Simone Weil

Simone Weil (1909-1943) was a defining figure of the twentieth century; a philosopher, Christian, resistance fighter, anarchist, feminist, Labour activist and teacher. She was described by T. S. Eliot as 'a woman of genius, of a kind of genius akin to that of the saints', and by Albert Camus as 'the only great spirit of our time'. Originally published posthumously in two volumes, these newly reissued notebooks, are among the very few unedited personal writings of Weil's that still survive today. Containing her thoughts on art, love, science, God and the meaning of life, they give context and meaning to Weil's famous works, revealing an unique philosophy in development and offering a rare private glimpse of her singular personality.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415327717
• ISBN13: 9780415327718
• Release Date: December 2003
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 656 Pages
• Weight: 2.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.6" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

don't judge a book by its cover

Yes, the binding is cheap, and the price is exorbitant. Yes, the publisher ought to be ashamed. But the content of Simone Weil's notebooks far outweigh the slipshod production. Weil remains one of the greatest interwar thinkers, with a brilliant mind, and a saint-like intensity for the pursuit of truth, beauty and kenotic love. The works of Levinas, Agamben, Canada's George Parkin Grant and a host of other postwar thinkers, French or otherwise, would be unthinkable without Weil. As such, this book deserves more than the one star given by an earlier reviewer. I give it five stars just to even out the overall average.