Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre (Penguin Classics)

“Nausea” (“La Nausée” in French) is a philosophical novel written by Jean-Paul Sartre. Published in 1938, it is one of Sartre’s most famous and influential works. The novel is considered a key text in existentialist literature.

The story is presented as the diary of Antoine Roquentin, a young man who is living in the fictional French town of Bouville. Roquentin is a historian working on a biography of the Marquis de Rollebon, but he becomes increasingly disturbed by a profound sense of existential nausea. He is overwhelmed by the sheer existence of things and the realization that life lacks inherent meaning or purpose.

Throughout the novel, Roquentin grapples with questions of existence, freedom, and the nature of consciousness. He becomes acutely aware of the contingency and absurdity of human existence, leading to a deep sense of alienation and despair. The experience of nausea is both a physical and existential phenomenon for Roquentin.

“Nausea” is a landmark work in existentialist literature, and it explores many of the themes that would become central to Sartre’s philosophical ideas, including the concept of radical freedom and the responsibility that comes with it. The novel is an exploration of the human condition and the individual’s struggle to find meaning in a seemingly indifferent and absurd world.