The whole feel of this novel is that of isolation, abandonment and ultimately you feel sorry for Roquentin, who personifies lonliness, verging upon the suicidal.

I have to disagree with some of the other reviewers, the dialogue is insipid, prosaic and not particularly thought provoking. Indeed some of the scenes when Roquentin describes his thoughts in a typical 'stream of consciousness' manner remind me of a time when I was unemployed and analysed everything, searching for reason and meaning in my life.

If you reads this book you will recognise some of the feelings of lonliness and isolation that at times we all succumb to.

I'm not going to let myself fall in to the trap of believing that I have somehow missed the point of this book, or that I lack the intellect to understand it. It's like Opera, it's a matter of temperament and taste. No all opera's are good, some are sublime (Carmen) others facile and langiud (Cossi Fan Tutti). This book falls in to the latter category. Read it for yourself and be truthfull with what you find. Think to yourself "If this was not by Satre would I feel differently about the book"? QED


(Pessimistic) food for your thoughts   August 30, 2001
 9 out of 10 found this review helpful

Although sometimes hopelessly pessimistic, I still found this to be a very interesting read. It is the story of Antoine in 1930's France, or rather it is a snap-shot of his life. It made me think about existence and how we each try to give our lives meaning while faced with the reality that we are in fact superfluous. Each character seems to represent a different outlook so it makes for some truly dazzling dialogue. Sartre has a way of writing which is sometimes so beautiful and eloquent. I would definitely recommend this book. I think it is a book that I will always remember.


It'll change your perspective in one reading...   January 2, 2001
 11 out of 12 found this review helpful

Granted Sartre leaves one feeling empty and worthless in one sense, but he also gives the reader the ability to view the world in it's true form: a soup of superfluous existences. If ever you asked yourself what the world is beneath the materialist skin, Nausea answers the question perfectly.


Changes your perceptions of yourself, others and the world   November 21, 1998
 9 out of 10 found this review helpful

Sartre's first novel can be a terrifying and brutal unmasking of the nature of existence. It is one of those books that grabs your attention and forces you to deal with your own response to the writing. I was so caught up in the protagonist's developing understanding of who he was and what his life actually meant that I hardly noticed the style of writing. The power of description of his awakening consciousness is very powerful and subtly builds throughout the book, leading to an ending with a strange feeling of euphoria and freedom.