Sartre's No Exit: Other People Are Hell

by Sophia Blackwell

Ever found yourself staring into the void and wished it would at least tell a good joke? Wonder how a chain-smoking French philosopher with unflattering glasses became an intellectual sex symbol? Want to understand existentialism without developing an addiction to black turtlenecks and cigarettes?

"Sartre's No Exit" is the antidote to pretentious philosophical despair you've been waiting for. This irreverent guide takes you on a sarcasm-soaked journey through Jean-Paul Sartre's most influential ideas—from radical freedom and bad faith to the hellishness of other people—all while mercilessly mocking the man who made existential angst fashionable.
In these pages, you'll Sartre transformed teenage angst into a philosophical system (and got famous for it)Why your freedom is both absolute and absolutely terrifyingHow we all lie to ourselves about our lies to ourselvesThe philosophical roots of your social anxiety and public bathroom discomfortWhy "Hell is other people" doesn't mean what you think (but is still a great excuse for canceling plans)How Sartre maintained numerous affairs while writing about authenticityEssential tips for hosting your very own existentialist dinner party, complete with nihilistic cocktails!Whether you're a confused student forced to read "Being and Nothingness," a curious reader wanting to understand what the fuss is about, or someone who enjoys watching intellectual pretension get skewered by razor-sharp wit, this book is your perfect introduction to the man who made misery sound profound and smoking indoors seem philosophical.

70 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2025

About the author

Sophia Anne Blackwell is a philosophy student who created the “Cogito Ergo Nope!” series after surviving three consecutive semesters of incomprehensible philosophy seminars. What began as snarky study guides to help her fellow students actually understand what they were supposedly learning has evolved into a cult hit series that explains complex philosophical ideas without the academic pretension.

“I started writing these because I was tired of pretending to understand readings that made absolutely no sense,” Blackwell explains. “There had to be a way to explain these concepts without inducing migraines or making people feel stupid for not getting it. Turns out the secret is just admitting when the emperor has no clothes.”

Reviews

[Teemu Luonsinen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does Sartre only remain in hell, or is he free of it at last?

A great summary of Sartre and his book No Exit. I'd recommend it to those curious.

I wasn't even aware Sartre was a tankie in the word's original meaning, or that his partner Simone de Beauvoir groomed students as young as sixteen for him.