La Vieillesse, Simone de Beauvoir

Simone de Beauvoir's book La vieillesse (Old Age) was first published in 1970, then reissued in 2020 in the Folio Essais collection, in pocket format, with 802 pages depending on the edition. This book is a profound essay on the condition of the elderly, in which the author denounces a society that, in her view, treats the elderly as outcasts, ignoring them and depriving them of recognition as fully-fledged human beings. She criticises the exploitation of workers, the atomisation of society and the misery of a culture reserved for an elite, which leads to a dehumanised old age. Simone de Beauvoir asserts that society is not only guilty but criminal towards the elderly, and that it maintains a conspiracy of silence around this subject, due to the fear that this fate may one day affect everyone. The book, reissued in 2020, has enjoyed a marked rediscovery, particularly in relation to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 health crisis, which has highlighted the flaws in the system of care for the elderly. The Folio reissue has made this text accessible to a wide audience, with a price of around £10 to £11 depending on the bookshop.

In French