All Men Are Mortal - 书狸狐哨

No cover — Simone de Beauvoir: All Men Are Mortal (1955, World Publishing Company)

Published 1955 by World Publishing Company.

(1 review)

Immortality as a curse: A critical view in All Men Are Mortal by Simone de Beauvoir In All Men Are Mortal (1946), Simone de Beauvoir offers an existential reflection on immortality and its relationship to the meaning of life. Through the character of Raimon Fosca, a man who has achieved eternal life in the 14th century, the author exposes the psychological, moral, and philosophical consequences of living without end. After centuries of observing human development, Fosca experiences a progressive detachment from ideals, emotional ties, and history itself, revealing that the lack of finitude destroys any possibility of lasting value. The novel thus questions the apparent human aspiration for immortality and argues that death, far from being a tragedy, is what gives meaning to existence. With a sober style and philosophical depth, de Beauvoir offers a lucid critique of the desire for individual transcendence.

1 edition

Julia_98@bookwyrm.world reviewed All Men Are Mortal by Simone de Beauvoir

The Curse of Forever: My Reflection on Simone de Beauvoir’s All Men Are Mortal

4 stars

Reading Simone de Beauvoir’s All Men Are Mortal felt like stepping into a philosophical thought experiment disguised as a novel. Published in 1946, this work explores profound questions about time, meaning, and the human condition through the story of Raimon Fosca, a man cursed — or perhaps doomed — with immortality.

The narrative unfolds through the perspective of Régine, a contemporary actress obsessed with fame and terrified of her own insignificance. When she meets Fosca, who claims to have lived for centuries, their relationship becomes a lens through which de Beauvoir examines the nature of desire, ambition, and the consequences of eternity.

Fosca recounts his endless life in exhaustive detail: from medieval Italy to modern France, through wars, revolutions, and personal failures. What becomes painfully clear is that immortality does not bring wisdom, happiness, or peace. Instead, it strips life of urgency and purpose. Without the limit of death, nothing …

Reading Simone de Beauvoir’s All Men Are Mortal felt like stepping into a philosophical thought experiment disguised as a novel. Published in 1946, this work explores profound questions about time, meaning, and the human condition through the story of Raimon Fosca, a man cursed — or perhaps doomed — with immortality.

The narrative unfolds through the perspective of Régine, a contemporary actress obsessed with fame and terrified of her own insignificance. When she meets Fosca, who claims to have lived for centuries, their relationship becomes a lens through which de Beauvoir examines the nature of desire, ambition, and the consequences of eternity.

Fosca recounts his endless life in exhaustive detail: from medieval Italy to modern France, through wars, revolutions, and personal failures. What becomes painfully clear is that immortality does not bring wisdom, happiness, or peace. Instead, it strips life of urgency and purpose. Without the limit of death, nothing retains meaning for long.

What struck me most was how de Beauvoir uses Fosca’s plight to mirror our own struggle with time. Mortality, she suggests, is what gives shape to love, ambition, and identity. Without it, we risk losing the very essence of what makes life precious.

Her writing blends existential philosophy with storytelling in a way that feels both intellectual and deeply human.

For me, All Men Are Mortal wasn’t just a novel about deathlessness; it was a meditation on why endings matter. It left me questioning how I measure fulfillment, knowing that it is the limit of time — not its absence — that gives weight to every choice we make.