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Extracts From: The Second Sex
Vintage classic feminist texts in short form
When this book was first published in 1949 it was to outrage and scandal. Never before had the case for female liberty been so forcefully and successfully argued. De Beauvoir’s belief that ‘One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman’ switched on light bulbs in the heads of a generation of women and began a fight for greater equality and economic independence. These pages contain the key passages of the book that changed perceptions of women forever.
When this book was first published in 1949 it was to outrage and scandal. Never before had the case for female liberty been so forcefully and successfully argued. De Beauvoir’s belief that ‘One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman’ switched on light bulbs in the heads of a generation of women and began a fight for greater equality and economic independence. These pages contain the key passages of the book that changed perceptions of women forever.
120 pages, Paperback
Published March 5, 2015
427 people are currently reading
4477 people want to read
About the author
Simone de Beauvoir
423 books11.6k followersWorks of Simone de Beauvoir, French writer, existentialist, and feminist, include
The Second Sex
in 1949 and
The Coming of Age
, a study in 1970 of views of different cultures on the old.
Simone de Beauvoir, an author and philosopher, wrote novels, monographs, political and social issues, essays, biographies, and an autobiography. People now best know She Came to Stay and The Mandarins , her metaphysical novels. Her treatise, a foundational contemporary tract, of 1949 detailed analysis of oppression of women.
Simone de Beauvoir, an author and philosopher, wrote novels, monographs, political and social issues, essays, biographies, and an autobiography. People now best know She Came to Stay and The Mandarins , her metaphysical novels. Her treatise, a foundational contemporary tract, of 1949 detailed analysis of oppression of women.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 304 reviews
March 21, 2021
Well , Let me tell you this from the beginning , this was not an easy read for me.
These extracts are mainly composed of the original book's introduction, conclusion and Chapter 14 : The Independent Woman .
It took me almost a week to try and grasp the majority of her thoughts as I am , unfortunately , unfamiliar with the historical references and most of the philosophers mentioned .
Although this book was written nearly 70 years ago , there are many aspects of Simone de Beauvoir's analysis that still feel relevant and important until this day .
I was dazzled and intrigued by her well-written , put together , intelligent ' argumentation' , even though it's not really considered as 'argumentation' as explained by Natalie Haynes." There is something dazzling about the certainty Beauveoir can bring to almost everything ... Only when you read her do you realise how many women write using a default uncertainty- maybe , perhaps , possibly ".
I've also read Natalie Hayes's introduction several times when reading these extracts and I loved it !
There's something in her style of writing that makes you eager to find out more about Simone ( and Sartre as well in my case) .
Over all and after days of taking notes of all the historical and philosophical references that I need to read , It's safe to say that I enjoyed reading this for it made me want to pick up the whole lenghty book.
If you want to get a taste of The Second Sex and you don't want to commit to the whole book , this one is for you.
These extracts are mainly composed of the original book's introduction, conclusion and Chapter 14 : The Independent Woman .
It took me almost a week to try and grasp the majority of her thoughts as I am , unfortunately , unfamiliar with the historical references and most of the philosophers mentioned .
Although this book was written nearly 70 years ago , there are many aspects of Simone de Beauvoir's analysis that still feel relevant and important until this day .
I was dazzled and intrigued by her well-written , put together , intelligent ' argumentation' , even though it's not really considered as 'argumentation' as explained by Natalie Haynes." There is something dazzling about the certainty Beauveoir can bring to almost everything ... Only when you read her do you realise how many women write using a default uncertainty- maybe , perhaps , possibly ".
I've also read Natalie Hayes's introduction several times when reading these extracts and I loved it !
There's something in her style of writing that makes you eager to find out more about Simone ( and Sartre as well in my case) .
Over all and after days of taking notes of all the historical and philosophical references that I need to read , It's safe to say that I enjoyed reading this for it made me want to pick up the whole lenghty book.
If you want to get a taste of The Second Sex and you don't want to commit to the whole book , this one is for you.
December 17, 2019
What a gift to the world SDB has been. Such concise brillant reflections. I should have read this 20 years ago.
Read
May 17, 2019This edition of The Second Sex is just a little collection of extracts from the original work and, now that I'm more familiar with Beauvoir’s way of thinking (and writing), I'm sure I'll pick up the full version of The Second Sex very soon.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
In this little book you'll find the introduction to Beauvoir’s most famous work and the important points of her theory. I found myself agreeing to much of what she was saying.
Simone de Beauvoir was an extremely intelligent (and sometimes very sarcastic) woman, who had a lot to say - and a beautiful way to say it, too.
She was unapologetically brutal with the remarks she made. This book informed fellow feminist thinkers like Betty Friedan and led to the rise of second-wave feminism in the early 1960s.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It's kind of sad if you think that many of the things that happened during her time are still happening 70 years later - we accomplished so much but we still have a long way to go.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Also the fact that she was associated with Sartre and that their writing styles were highly influenced by each other fascinates me even more. To know a woman so close to him is all I could ask for right now. (Secretly in love with him myself)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
In this little book you'll find the introduction to Beauvoir’s most famous work and the important points of her theory. I found myself agreeing to much of what she was saying.
Simone de Beauvoir was an extremely intelligent (and sometimes very sarcastic) woman, who had a lot to say - and a beautiful way to say it, too.
She was unapologetically brutal with the remarks she made. This book informed fellow feminist thinkers like Betty Friedan and led to the rise of second-wave feminism in the early 1960s.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It's kind of sad if you think that many of the things that happened during her time are still happening 70 years later - we accomplished so much but we still have a long way to go.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Also the fact that she was associated with Sartre and that their writing styles were highly influenced by each other fascinates me even more. To know a woman so close to him is all I could ask for right now. (Secretly in love with him myself)
July 26, 2015
4.5 stars.
Will definitely get my hands on the full version.
Will definitely get my hands on the full version.
October 29, 2020
The Second Sex is considered as one of the most revolutionary books of feminist history and attributed with starting the second wave of the feminist movement. Even though it was written over 70 years ago, I found it be the most refreshing and enlightening take on feminism that I've ever come across. Her words resonated with many of own thoughts and verbalized them more eloquently than I could ever imagine. Even though this book only contains excerpts from the original text, I think it captures its essence.
The writer asserts that we need to stop comparing men to women and see women as beings in themselves. She gave me an entirely new perspective on equality, that equality does not mean imitation and productivity should not be a criteria for a person's worth. She digs deep into the root of the problem and answers many popular questions asked by those against the idea of women empowerment. Simone accurately diagnosis the ailments that have held women back over the millennia and still haunt them despite the apparent equal opportunities. At times her ideas went entirely over my head since it is not only a social critique but also a philosophical text. I believe myself very incapable of reviewing such a master piece so consider it is more of a tribute to her genius.
The writer asserts that we need to stop comparing men to women and see women as beings in themselves. She gave me an entirely new perspective on equality, that equality does not mean imitation and productivity should not be a criteria for a person's worth. She digs deep into the root of the problem and answers many popular questions asked by those against the idea of women empowerment. Simone accurately diagnosis the ailments that have held women back over the millennia and still haunt them despite the apparent equal opportunities. At times her ideas went entirely over my head since it is not only a social critique but also a philosophical text. I believe myself very incapable of reviewing such a master piece so consider it is more of a tribute to her genius.
February 10, 2023
me sentí regañada por la señorita beauvoir
August 15, 2021
Quite interesting to read older feminist literature. This only included one chapter, "The independent Woman" from Beauvoirs book. There are some interesting points but I also have the feeling that de Beavoir is a bit of a snob lol. Maybe it is just this chapter but it would be interesting to see what she had to say about the other topics in the complete book at some point. But I most likely won't read it because it was not exactly fun to read this. The language is what to be expected from an older book but I feel like I would need to read it at least twice to actually fullt get what she is trying to convey but it was not at all interesting enough for me to put myself through reading it again. There is something about the tone of the book that I don't really vibe with from time to time. She really comes across like a bit of a knowledge snob. I got the feeling that she for example kind of looks down on female literatures as not reaching the depths of dense books written by men. It just doesn't really sit right with me and this view in the last third of the book kind of irks me a bit. Maybe I'm missing the point I don't know, but it wouldn't surprice me if Bevouir was a bit of a knowledge snob considering the circles she hung out in. Anyway, my favourite quote from this is hands down:
"She is a helicopter and she is a bird"
"She is a helicopter and she is a bird"
December 15, 2018
The second sex, the other, the object, the oppressed... Women have lived a historical destiny that consistently placed them in a position of inferiority to the extent that it got assumed the norm. Simone de Beauvoir's challenge to this paradigm comes from a very realist position of an acknowledgement of 'what is' and pushing to suggest 'what ought to be.' The 'controversial' suggestion she makes is to merely see woman as a subject, a human being and as a complete individual... Outrageous, right?
July 10, 2023
A great introduction and snippet into the philosophies and feminism by SDB, she was ahead of her time and this was a super interesting and condensed peak into what is to come when I finally tackle The Second Sex.
February 14, 2016
Definitely going to read the entire text at some point. Her thoughts and observations about the female-male relationship are mind blowing.
May 28, 2023
It's just strange to read a book written more than 70 years ago and still relate to so many issues. Of course we live in much better times now, but the relevance of some problems is astonishing.
January 18, 2026
A quick, yet comprehensive text that in many ways rings as true today as it did when it was written. I was drawn in by the foreword written by Natalie Hayes and wasn't disappointed. I will readily come back to this in the future as it has many truly amazing parts. Strongly recommend this.
January 7, 2023
brilliant,intelligent and well-written arguments that are still valid to this day
“If men were content to love a peer instead of a slave - as indeed some men do who are without either arrogance or an inferiority complex - then women would be far less obsessed with their femininity”
“I only like beggars and the hungry”
“A woman who is not afraid of men frightens them”
“He seeks to possess the woman beyond that which she gives him; he demands that her consent be a defeat”
“But it is also true that they bury in the secret of their hearts many disappointments, humiliations, regrets and grievances whose equivalents are unknown - on the whole - to men.”
“A woman could never have become Kafka”
“If men were content to love a peer instead of a slave - as indeed some men do who are without either arrogance or an inferiority complex - then women would be far less obsessed with their femininity”
“I only like beggars and the hungry”
“A woman who is not afraid of men frightens them”
“He seeks to possess the woman beyond that which she gives him; he demands that her consent be a defeat”
“But it is also true that they bury in the secret of their hearts many disappointments, humiliations, regrets and grievances whose equivalents are unknown - on the whole - to men.”
“A woman could never have become Kafka”
April 8, 2018
This edition is just a little collection of extracts from the original work and, now that I'm more familiar with her line of thinking, I'm sure I'll pick up the full version of The Second Sex.
In this little book you'll find the introduction to her work and the most important points of her theory. I found myself agreeing to much of what she was saying.
Simone de Beauvoir was an extremely intelligent (and sometimes very sarcastic) woman, who had a lot to say - and a beautiful way to say it, too.
It's kind of sad if you think that many of the things that happened during her time are still happening 70 years later - we accomplished so much but we still have a long way to go.
In this little book you'll find the introduction to her work and the most important points of her theory. I found myself agreeing to much of what she was saying.
Simone de Beauvoir was an extremely intelligent (and sometimes very sarcastic) woman, who had a lot to say - and a beautiful way to say it, too.
It's kind of sad if you think that many of the things that happened during her time are still happening 70 years later - we accomplished so much but we still have a long way to go.
April 26, 2024
the chapter of independent woman, just blew my mind. ugh i want more people to read sdb (especially men).
ps - why men dont read feminist literature?? reminds me of this quote by Bell Hooks - "I read patriarchal men whose work I love. How is it that they can live without reading our work, without wanting to hear our voices? Even if it's just to be nosy, to wonder what "those people" are thinking? [...] Part of the construction of dominator privilege is you don't have to think about what are those other people thinking, feeling, hoping, dreaming."
ps - why men dont read feminist literature?? reminds me of this quote by Bell Hooks - "I read patriarchal men whose work I love. How is it that they can live without reading our work, without wanting to hear our voices? Even if it's just to be nosy, to wonder what "those people" are thinking? [...] Part of the construction of dominator privilege is you don't have to think about what are those other people thinking, feeling, hoping, dreaming."
August 28, 2019
Thought provoking and amazing. Influence of Marx and Foucault is evident in her writing. Just bought the complete novel!
December 20, 2024
Brilliant. I’ve always wanted to read Simone de Beauvoir’s work and had this book sitting on my shelf for some time. When Trump got elected, it felt like there was never going to be a more poignant time to start.
SDB unravels the socio-cultural spiderweb which entraps woman as ‘the other’ or ‘the second sex’. The physiological burden of motherhood, the subversive connotations around femininity and feminism, and the relationship between man and woman. This book is so much more than a debate around traditional gender roles.
In some ways, one could argue much has changed, that women are becoming men’s equal. Yet we are seeing political shifts that are reversing progress at terrifying pace. Despite being published 75 years ago, The Second Sex continues to hold immense relevance in contemporary society.
SDB unravels the socio-cultural spiderweb which entraps woman as ‘the other’ or ‘the second sex’. The physiological burden of motherhood, the subversive connotations around femininity and feminism, and the relationship between man and woman. This book is so much more than a debate around traditional gender roles.
In some ways, one could argue much has changed, that women are becoming men’s equal. Yet we are seeing political shifts that are reversing progress at terrifying pace. Despite being published 75 years ago, The Second Sex continues to hold immense relevance in contemporary society.
Read
February 24, 2016Collecting 3 chapters from Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex, my edition of this book includes the key passages from the original text (which is over 600 pages), a text which, once published, inspired and changed the thought process of many women. Another classic feminist text, I decided to read this as my second book of the 2016 Classics Challenge, held by Stacey/prettybooks.
WHEN I Discovered This Classic
I discovered this classic in Year 11 of Secondary school. We were studying the second wave of feminism for our coursework, and this was one of the texts mentioned, and when I saw that there was a £5 copy available collecting what the publishers deemed the most important chapters, I decided to pick it up.
WHY I Chose to Read It
Like I said about A Room of One's Own, my first classic of the year, I'm writing an essay on feminism and decided to read this one as a second reference text for it.
WHAT Makes It A Classic
It's one of the more important texts to come out at the beginning of the 20th century to do with feminism, and definitely represents issues now.
WHAT I Thought of This Classic
De Beauvoir's outlook on feminism is similar to Woolf's, but her manner of addressing different topics and situations is completely different. She's a lot more forward and opinionated, informative but still not creating much of a discussion; she seemed to be very solid in her views and doesn't leave much room for contradiction. I found myself losing interest at odd points and not really remembering what she'd said, but then being entranced a couple of pages later and annotating and commenting on things she had written.
I had issues with the way she addressed women in literature, but I had similar issues when I read A Room of One's Own, although Woolf created more discussion around the topic to see how her audience might react differently to women's literature. It seemed like de Beauvoir was sort of... Disregarding the literature. She talked about issues with the women and their limitations, but never actually mentioned that they are still very important and influential texts, and didn't seem to have the same respect for literature that Woolf does.
WILL It Stay A Classic
I think it will, although it won't be considered one of the most important texts. I can't say for sure if the entirety of The Second Sex will remain classic, because I only read extracts, but it didn't really have as big an impact on me as other books I've read recently on the topic of feminism and equality.
WHO I’d Recommend It To
I would recommend it to people looking to be introduced to de Beauvoir's work before reading the full text, or to those looking for works to cite in essays about feminism. It definitely sparked some thoughts and ideas and is relevant to the topic!
My next book for the challenge is going to be Come Close by Sappho, a Greek poetess. It's a smaller collection of her work and I'll probably get through it quickly considering it's mostly fragments, but I'm really looking forward to reading it regardless.
WHEN I Discovered This Classic
I discovered this classic in Year 11 of Secondary school. We were studying the second wave of feminism for our coursework, and this was one of the texts mentioned, and when I saw that there was a £5 copy available collecting what the publishers deemed the most important chapters, I decided to pick it up.
WHY I Chose to Read It
Like I said about A Room of One's Own, my first classic of the year, I'm writing an essay on feminism and decided to read this one as a second reference text for it.
WHAT Makes It A Classic
It's one of the more important texts to come out at the beginning of the 20th century to do with feminism, and definitely represents issues now.
WHAT I Thought of This Classic
De Beauvoir's outlook on feminism is similar to Woolf's, but her manner of addressing different topics and situations is completely different. She's a lot more forward and opinionated, informative but still not creating much of a discussion; she seemed to be very solid in her views and doesn't leave much room for contradiction. I found myself losing interest at odd points and not really remembering what she'd said, but then being entranced a couple of pages later and annotating and commenting on things she had written.
I had issues with the way she addressed women in literature, but I had similar issues when I read A Room of One's Own, although Woolf created more discussion around the topic to see how her audience might react differently to women's literature. It seemed like de Beauvoir was sort of... Disregarding the literature. She talked about issues with the women and their limitations, but never actually mentioned that they are still very important and influential texts, and didn't seem to have the same respect for literature that Woolf does.
WILL It Stay A Classic
I think it will, although it won't be considered one of the most important texts. I can't say for sure if the entirety of The Second Sex will remain classic, because I only read extracts, but it didn't really have as big an impact on me as other books I've read recently on the topic of feminism and equality.
WHO I’d Recommend It To
I would recommend it to people looking to be introduced to de Beauvoir's work before reading the full text, or to those looking for works to cite in essays about feminism. It definitely sparked some thoughts and ideas and is relevant to the topic!
My next book for the challenge is going to be Come Close by Sappho, a Greek poetess. It's a smaller collection of her work and I'll probably get through it quickly considering it's mostly fragments, but I'm really looking forward to reading it regardless.
July 15, 2024
i mean it was very interesting and a good look at feminist existentialism and philosophy. not anything super mind blowing. probably will try and read the whole thing at some point || 4.25
August 13, 2023
'And even when seduction succeeds, victory remains ambiguous; thus, according to public opinion, it is the man who conquers, who has the woman. It does not accept that she can, like the man, assume her desires: she is their prey. It is understood that the male has integrated the forces of the species into his individuality, whereas the woman is the slave of the species. She is represented alternately as pure passivity: she is a 'slut; open for business'; ready and willing, she is a utensil; she limply gives in to the spell of arousal, she is fascinated by the male who picks her like a fruit. Or else she is seen as an alienated activity: there is a devil raging in her womb, a serpent lurks in her vagina, craving to devour male sperm. In any case, it is out of the question to think of her as simply free.'
March 28, 2021
I promise I’ll read the real, whole thing next year.
December 21, 2022
Did not age well (TW: homophobia) and very snobby...
January 22, 2025
Definitely an eye opening experience to read this and surprised society is still viewing women in almost the same way as in 1949. Would like to read the full version now!
December 29, 2025
Very enlightening insights on the “female condition” surprisingly a lot still applies to the situation today! I particularly liked her analyses of hierarchical sex and intimacy under oppression. She expertly weaves between issues related to gender making clear her position in so many different topics. Obviously this was written in 1949 and so some parts do seem a little out dated - but I do consider this to be some of what she was hoping and does or ing has come to past (woman realising themselves as subjects) although I do feel like some language she uses and parts of this work are a bit too victim blamey imo (although it’s effective to envision women both as victims and accomplices - I agree with this.) Personally I feel like it lacks an intersectional lens and self awareness that the “female condition” she describes is largely that of middle or upper-class white western women but for the time this was very radical in its self so doesn’t diminish too much from itself!!! Definitely going to reread!
December 14, 2024
I picked this up to decide if it was worth reading the big tome that is the unabridged version. Let me just say, I FLEW through this. I couldn't get enough. I was furiously underlining paragraphs and entire pages. It spoke to me on a whole other level. As soon as I got to the end, I put in an order for the original. The language may not be the easiest to parse but it is entirely worth your time, i promise.
October 13, 2024
“The beauty of flowers and women’s charms can be appreciated for what they are worth; if these treasures are paid for with blood or misery, one must be willing to sacrifice them.” OKKKK la verdad hay muchas partes de esta lectura que me hicieron abrir los ojos (literalmente) y volver a leer la idea. Me quedo con ganas de leer la obra completa.
July 13, 2025
Never has anyone expressed with such clarity both broad sociological issues as well as intimate relationship dynamics between members of a couple. Looking forward to reading the full edition.
November 17, 2025
now I need to read the actual book
March 17, 2025
Outrageously incredible and scandalous, this tiny book spanning less than a 100 pages is a delight. It's a book that bends back the hands of the clock to a couple of decades ago and takes us to the seed that germinated into a fight for female participation in the society.
This edition contains three key chapters of the acclaimed book with the same name by Simone De Beauvoir. When it was first published in 1949, it sent ripples on the surface of the society. A society that could not wrap its head around the idea that women can contribute in anything more than their household chores. It was for the first time that the cry for liberty entirely catered to women was so loud, clear, and successfully argued.
In a day and age where overtly foreshadowed and false claims spread like a virtual wildfire, it's important to go back to the voices that triggered the reality we are enjoying today. It's the need of the hour to understand and embody the crux of feminist movement and why it started.
As Natalie Haynes rightly mentions in the introduction, "Reading The Second Sex is like having someone cleverer and more articulate than you remind you that you aren't paranoid", I think not just for women but more so for men this book is an essential read.
This edition contains three key chapters of the acclaimed book with the same name by Simone De Beauvoir. When it was first published in 1949, it sent ripples on the surface of the society. A society that could not wrap its head around the idea that women can contribute in anything more than their household chores. It was for the first time that the cry for liberty entirely catered to women was so loud, clear, and successfully argued.
In a day and age where overtly foreshadowed and false claims spread like a virtual wildfire, it's important to go back to the voices that triggered the reality we are enjoying today. It's the need of the hour to understand and embody the crux of feminist movement and why it started.
As Natalie Haynes rightly mentions in the introduction, "Reading The Second Sex is like having someone cleverer and more articulate than you remind you that you aren't paranoid", I think not just for women but more so for men this book is an essential read.
January 2, 2025
absolutely genius; puts a lot of things that i’m sure everyone has felt or thought about into words!!! annotated the fuck out of this, going to have to read the actual book now i’m afraid. point deduction for you know what.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 304 reviews