I have never read any of Simone de Beauvoir’s fiction before - I admit I haven’t read much of her non-fiction either - but this beautiful novella has me itching for more.

In The Inseparables, we follow two friends, Andrée and Sylvie, through their childhood and early adulthood. The story is semi-autobiographical, based heavily on Beauvoir’s own friendship with her childhood friend Zaza. It was clearly a very formative friendship for her on a number of levels, ending prematurely with Zaza’s tragic death.

It’s impossible to separate the truth from fiction in this story. Having never been published in the author’s lifetime, there is a sense that writing this story was an emotional, cathartic process, as she attempted to put into words what this friendship meant to her. Andrée’s pain and Sylvie’s yearning feel so vivid and real, you can’t help but feel your heart go out to them. 

It’s also worth mentioning the translator, Lauren Elkin, who not only did a fantastic job of conveying the emotion of the original text (not that I can do a direct comparison) but also wrote a fascinating foreword explaining not only some of the decisions she made in translating the text but also highlighting some details that couldn’t be carried over into English. Both the foreword and the afterword, which gives us an insight into the biographical elements of the story, really added to the reading experience and made me appreciate it all the more.

Whether you’re a lifelong fan of Simone de Beauvoir, or if like me you haven’t yet read many of her books, this book is a gem of a must-read. 

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.