La Femme rompue

Three stories make up this collection. In "The Age of Discretion", a retired teacher and writer in her sixties finds that her son, once close to her, has turned away from her ideals. "Monologue" is a furious, rambling, one-voice tirade by a woman who has been left alone on New Year's Eve and blames everyone around her. In "The Woman Destroyed", Monique discovers that her husband Maurice has a mistress, and keeps a diary as her sense of self collapses.

For readers interested in Beauvoir's fiction as well as her philosophy, these stories examine ageing, abandonment and the way women are taught to depend on others. They are short and painful, and give you a detailed view of three women losing the certainties that gave their lives shape.

Deep, inward-looking, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.

Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?