Most of the books I review for the Historical Novel Society have little word of mouth. An unknown gem, I predict, each time I tear open the manila mailer, hoping to find the next best seller.
And then there was the time my envelope yielded At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, And Apricot Cocktails. Four dour characters commanded the cover—the men smoking and only the woman making eye contact with her reader. This one’s a loser, I concluded, unless the recipe for apricot cocktails is truly intoxicating.
Soon, my “loser” book began to taunt my flip condemnation. A full page ad in the New York Times was followed by a solid review. The Guardian joined in with a glowing analysis. The LA Times celebrated that “the existentialists come alive (over cocktails.)” Amazon.com flagged the book as the #1 Best Seller in Philosopher Biographies (admittedly a thin category.) Even the Historical Novel Society published a feature review describing Sarah Bakewell’s work as “admirable.”
So, did I agree with the experts? Read my review from the May issue of the Historical Novels Review and find out.
I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments below.
Very much enjoyed your review and the comments about the book. I don’t know that I will read it but I really did enjoy hearing about it. Now when it comes up in conversation, I can add something.
Hard to imagine Sartre (or even Simone) drinking apricot cocktails. Perhaps an umbrella? But interesting to see how the author handled getting a handle. Gotta have something to grab people straight away, even if the content is stellar. Thanks for sharing. Really enjoyed the critique.