THE MANDARINS A NOVEL

A novel set in Paris in the years just after the Second World War. It follows a group of left-wing intellectuals who hope to shape the new France but disagree about politics, loyalty and the role of writers in public life. Around them are love affairs, friendships and rivalries, as well as a trip to America that changes one character's outlook. The book asks how thoughtful people should act when ideals collide with events. It won the Prix Goncourt in 1954 and is often read as a portrait of Beauvoir's own circle.