Mad in Pursuit

By Violette Leduc

Book Overview

With La Batarde, Violette Leduc described a turbulent Paris of World War II--where she struggled to survive, to create an identity, and to find a voice.In the second remarkable volume of her life story, Mad In Pursuit, the war is finally over. A new generation of writers has appeared in Paris, among them Camus, Genet, Sartre, and Cocteau, and every day, they can be seen writing at the marble-topped tables of the Cafe de Flore. Already in her thirties, Leduc burns with hero-worship and an obsession to become a celebrated writer herself. When she finds a mentor in none other than Simone de Beauvoir, she is pulled into the center of Parisian literary life--"a beehive gone mad." In the no-holds-barred style that made her a legend, Leduc paints a vibrant picture of the brilliant minds around her--and the dark passions and insecurities that drove her to write.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374195080
• ISBN13: 9780374195083
• Release Date: January 1971
• Publisher: -
• Length: 351 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Intense & gratifying descent

Like her "La Batarde", Leduc delves into her psyche and chronicles her moods, obsessions, and madness for the nuggets of insight they can contain. With astonishing honesty and ability, she serves us a remarkable and lush memoir of a writer plagued by self-doubt. Another fascinating aspect of the book is Violette's one-sided love affair with Simone de Beauvoir, and Violette's friendships with the varied famous of the time. This is a book to hold close and chew slowly.