She Came to Stay (French, L'Invitée)[1] is a novel written by French author Simone de Beauvoir first published in 1943. The novel is a fictional account of her and Jean-Paul Sartre's relationship with Olga Kosakiewicz and Wanda Kosakiewicz.[1][2][3]

First UK edition
(publ. Secker & Warburg, 1949)
Cover art by Victor Reinganum

Plot

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Set in Paris on the eve of and during World War II, the novel revolves around Françoise, whose open relationship with her partner Pierre becomes strained when they form a ménage à trois with her younger friend Xaviere. The novel explores many existentialist concepts such as freedom, angst, and the other.

Characters

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  • Françoise – considered to be Simone de Beauvoir[2]
  • Pierre – considered to be Jean-Paul Sartre[2]
  • Xaviere – considered to be a character combining elements of both Olga[2] and Wanda Kosakiewicz[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Lucey, Michael (2010). "Simone de Beauvoir and Sexuality in the Third Person". Representations. 109 (1): 95–121. doi:10.1525/rep.2010.109.1.95. ISSN 0734-6018. JSTOR 10.1525/rep.2010.109.1.95.
  2. ^ a b c d Hayman, Ronald (13 November 1983). "Kissing and Telling Beaver". The Observer. p. 27. Retrieved 31 October 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Poster, William (1 April 1954). "She Came to Stay, by Simone de Beauvoir". Commentary Magazine. Retrieved 1 November 2024.