At Home with André and Simone Weil

by Sylvie Weil, Benjamin Ivry (Translator)

“It is quite incorrect to believe that the dead are gone forever and never return to speak to the living. They return to speak to the living all the time; indeed, it is their main activity.” Thus writes Sylvie Weil in this illuminating memoir, in which contemporary readers can hear the voices of her famed philosopher aunt Simone and mathematician father André.

Born into a freethinking Jewish family in France in 1909, Simone Weil was one of the twentieth century’s most original philosophers, influencing Albert Camus, T. S. Eliot, Simone de Beauvoir, Pope John XXIII, Czeslaw Milosz, and Susan Sontag. She fought for workers’ rights and, later, the Spanish Republican cause. Before her death at age thirty-four, Simone Weil turned increasingly to mysticism and religion, especially Roman Catholicism, exploring themes of sacrifice, asceticism, and the virtues of manual labor. She never converted, however, and Sylvie Weil writes from a Jewish perspective, emphasizing Simone’s Jewish heritage.

Using previously unpublished family correspondence and conversations, Sylvie Weil paints the most vivid, private portrait of her aunt in print. The book illuminates Simone’s relationship with others, especially with her brother, André. Loving and unsparing, affectionate and incisive, At Home with André and Simone Weil is an insightful memoir about a family of intellectual luminaries.

Genres: Philosophy, Biography, Memoir

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Sylvie Weil earned degrees in classics and French literature at the Sorbonne. She was a professor of French literature and is the author of several award-winning works of fiction for adults and for young adults, including two novels published in the United States: My Guardian Angel and Elvina’s Mirror.

Reviews

[Tittirossa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anni fa, 5 o 6, una Amica anobiana-goodresiana, mi ha mandato una foto di me stessa ragazzina con gli occhialetti tondi e un cappottino rosso tipo il signor Bonaventura. Non capivo come potesse averla, ci siamo conosciute 10 anni fa. La mente ha cercato e trovato una spiegazione razionale: ha dei parenti vicino al mio paesello natale e forse in qualche modo ha trovato una foto fatta a scuola. Ero talmente “io” in quella foto che non mi sono minimamente posta il dubbio dell’impossibilità della ricostruzione del ritrovamento.
Quando le ho chiesto dove l’avesse trovata, me ne ha mandata un’altra. Ero “io”, mi riconoscevo nello sguardo obliquo, nella postura del mento, nel sorriso un po’ sghembo con un angolo della bocca, ma non negli abiti. A quel punto l’Amica non ha resistito e mi detto che ero sul Venerdì di Repubblica, un servizio intero! Sono andata a comperarlo e ho scoperto l’arcano: era uscito un libro di memorie su Simone Weil, e le foto corredavano l’intervista all’autrice (nipote di Simone, figlia di André).
Guardavo le foto e non capivo come potessi essere così speculare a qualcuno. Pubblicai la foto più somigliante su Facebook e immediatamente amiche di infanzia, ci conosciamo dalla nascita praticamente, mi hanno scritto dicendo di ricordarmi esattamente così, gli occhiali, i capelli, il capottino, il sorriso sghembo. Ma la cosa più straniante è stata una concatenazione mamma-zia-cugina-sorella: l’hanno vista insieme e mi hanno riconosciuto. Persino mio marito e le mie figlie (ma loro effettivamente non mi conoscevano a 16 anni) ci sono cascati.
Incuriosita, comperai due libri di Simone Weil (che però è troppo intelligente per me), ma non lessi il memoriale. Avrei voluto contattare la nipote, ma pensai che una omosomatia non mi dava alcun diritto di entrare nella vita degli altri.
Leggendo il libro oggi sono convinta di aver fatto bene a seguire il mio intuito e a non trattare la nipote da tibia (cit.), visto che pure lei, la nipote, è stata sempre identificata con la famosa zia, per la sua incredibile somiglianza.
La cosa buffa, è che mi intriga molto di più il cervello del fratello/padre André (meno votato al misticismo suicida

[Alex]

I don’t know how to review this because I did not read it "normally". During one of my interminable research on Weil, I found an interview of her niece about this book and I wanted to read it as soon as I found out about it. Sadly I couldn’t find a free French version online so I had to read it in Italian and translate the entire book via google traduction which was the only way available for me at the moment and which obviously ruined the substance of the text. Nevertheless the experience was a pleasant surprise because it wasn’t what I was expecting at all and I have gotten so much more out of it than I expected. I was expecting to learn only about Simone and a bit of André but I’ve learned so much more about her family and their lives after the death of Simone in what felt like seconds. Sylvie Weil writes about the deterioration of the family and the burden of being Simone’s niece in an incredibly funny and snarky way. This book also felt like a confession. Although I have read it in a terrible way, her prose remains present in some ways (at least that’s the impression that I have) which is why I really want to read it in the original language to compare it to the translation. Read this if you’re interested in Simone Weil, her family (before and after her death), Judaism and anecdotes.

[Ron Scrogham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sylvie Weil lives as the niece of Simone Weil and the daughter of the mathematician André Weil. She recounts with grace and humor what it means to resemble her aunt who has become a saint for many. Devotes seek to connect with Simone through Sylvie, who must resist this adulation in pursuit of her identity. The brilliance of her father casts her in another shadow from which she emerges with herself intact. This is a lovely memoir of a person who lived in the company of geniuses at a time when her world was threatened with destruction, prompting her family to live in exile.

[Stephan Leemen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Qu'est-ce que cela fait de grandir en étant la fille de l'un des plus grands mathématiciens du XXe siècle ET la nièce de l'une des plus grandes philosophes françaises du même siècle ? Plus encore : ressembler tellement à votre tante que les gens ne s'intéressent à vous que comme une copie ou une relique ? Un récit fascinant, parfois émouvant, de ce qui se passe chez les Weil.

[Mohammad Tanviruzzaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The best that you can hope for in this lowly world is to experience a passion, one which allows you to earn a living."

I was a bit disappointed. The mathematician Andre Weil was the only reason I picked up this book. Earlier I have read his autobiography, the apprenticeship. I was hoping to get a more intimate view of how he thought or worked as a mathematician from the perspective of her daughter. But that is not the focus of this book.

I had no idea Andre's sister, Simone, was famous as well.

[Rafaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took up this book because I've been obsessed with André Weil (yes, I know it's an odd obsession xD). Besides, I really, really liked Sylvie Weil's latest book Selfies, which, despite not being my kind of book, still managed to become one of my favorites and I'll probably re-read it eventually.

This one wasn't as interesting, though, and 3.5 stars would be more fitting. It was still very much worth it, though :)

What I enjoyed:
- The author is socially and emotionally perceptive enough to offer a lot of compelling insights about her family, and she has a quirky, witty sense of humor that makes the narrative very pleasant to read. In my opinion, the best example of this is the chapter in which Sylvie conjures up a picture of her family (her aunt Simone, her mom Eveline, and her grandparents Selma and Bernard) based on a short letter the four of them wrote to André while he was in prison for draft-dodging.

- Sylvie is very open and honest about the mixed feelings she has for her aunt, Simone's unintentional family legacy and the fact that she's treated like a saint's tibia. This treatment made me sympathize with the author a lot, to the point where I'm impressed that she's not as bitter and resentful as I would've been in her place. Like she said, it's one thing to be related to a singer, a Hollywood actress or a famous scientist... but being a relative of a saint is a whole other issue.
On the other hand, it reinforced an impression I had while reading Selfies: that she tends to be a bit competitive towards other women, which in my opinion also affected her perception of Simone.

- I loved getting to know more about André and Simone's parents, especially Bernard, who are very remarkable people in themselves. It was terribly sad reading about how such a close, loving family became haunted by Simone's ghost to the point of breaking apart and tainting Sylvie's childhood memories. I had no idea that there was such a long, nasty fight over Simone's writings.

What I disliked:
It's not exactly a biography, which I knew beforehand, but I still got bored and impatient when the author spent so many pages rambling about Judaism and the distant relatives of the Weil siblings. Had it been a longer book with a lot more information about them, maybe I wouldn't have mind it so much, but it felt like a long digression that broke the flow of the narrative. Although some of it was interesting and helped me understand more about the Weils, I wish most of it had been left out and replaced by more interesting anecdotes and reflections about them, especially André (but this is a personal, unpopular preference, since I bet that most people who picked up this book were interested in Simone).

Random thoughts:
- Reading Selfies, especially the final chapter, before reading At Home With André and Simone Weil made me see some of the things described in the later with a new light. Both books complement each other well, but I still wish she would write another one (Selfies Volume II?).

- I wouldn't recommend this to someone who is looking for a proper biography. It's more a collection of stories and anecdotes and some reflections the author has made about growing up in the shadow of a saint and a genius.

- I wish there were more things about André. I thought he was more interesting than his sister, even though his work is only understood and appreciated by a small % of people. But as a character, he's fascinating! Sylvie doesn't shy away from exposing her family's less flattering side, but based on what I've read about her father in other places, I think he still came off fairly well (or at least better than in other sources).

- I kind of wondered why Sylvie doesn't mention her half-brother Alain and barely mentions her sister Nicolette.

- This book only reinforces my perception that very few famous scientists seem to have been kind people and good/dedicated family men. Luckily, Sylvie seems like a strong person who knows how to see things with a sense of humor (I know I would've handled it much worse, if I had been in her place). I thought it's admirable and it made me more curious to know more about her too.

[Frank Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal details included
Mystical aspects an emphasis
Details of visit to Japan quite compelling

[Maryjulia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting insight into the family's history and dynamics plus the sad estrangement between Andre and his parents over Simone's legacy.

[Vincent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lu en français. Enchaînements étranges. Manque de cohérence.

[Kelly Salasin]

Sylvie's voice, like her, is such a treat.
French. Precocious. Honest. Indulgent. Affectionate. Kind.