Portrait of Sartre and de Beauvoir reading (1905–1945)

This article provides a chronological overview of Sartre’s and de Beauvoir’s reading practices. It is based on the chronological list of the couple’s readings up to 1945. Three main periods are distinguished: the period 1905–1929, marked by readings from their youth; the year 1929, when the couple met, which brought about a notable change in the choice of readings; the period September 1939–March 1941, which offers an exhaustive sample of the couple’s daily readings.