Simone de Beauvoir books in order
French philosopher, social theorist and activist
- Lived
- 1908–1986
- Country
- France
- Books
- 34
- Also writes as
- Le Castor
Simone de Beauvoir published 23 novels, 7 non-fiction books, 1 play and 3 other books, beginning with She Came to Stay (1943). The best-known is The Second Sex (1949).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Simone de Beauvoir
Start here
The Second Sex
Simone de Beauvoir's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
She Came to Stay (1943)
Pyrrhus and Cineas (Nov 1944)
The Blood of Others (1945)
All Men Are Mortal (1946)
America Day by Day (1948)
The Second Sex (1949)
The Mandarins (Oct 1954)
A History of Sex (1961)
L'invitée (1961)
Nature of the Second Sex (1963)
Force of Circumstance (Oct 1963)
A Very Easy Death (1964)
Les Belles Images (1966)
Woman Destroyed (1967)
La Vieillesse (Jan 1970)
Manifesto of the 343 (Apr 1971)
All Said and Done (1972)
The Coming of Age (1973)
La Femme Rompue (1976)
When Things of the Spirit Come First (1979)
A Transatlantic Love Affair (1998)
Diary of a Philosophy Student (2006)
The Inseparables (2020)
Non-fiction in order
The Ethics of Ambiguity (Nov 1947)
Faut-il Bruler Sade? (1953)
Mémoires D'une Jeune Fille Rangée (1958)
The Long March (1958)
Djamila Boupacha (1962)
Adieux (Sep 1972)
Lettres À Sartre (1990)
Plays in order
Who Shall Die (Dec 1945)
Other books in order
Brigitte Bardot and the Lolita Syndrome (1959)
Misunderstanding in Moscow (1996)
What Is Existentialism? (2020)
Film and TV adaptations
- The Blood of Others (1984)TV · from The Blood of Others
- All Men Are Mortal (1995)Film · from All Men Are Mortal
About Simone de Beauvoir
Simone Lucie Ernestine Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir was a French existentialist philosopher, writer, social theorist, and feminist activist. Though she did not consider herself a philosopher, nor was she considered one at the time of her death, she had a significant influence on both feminist existentialism and feminist theory.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Simone de Beauvoir FAQ
- How many books has Simone de Beauvoir written?
- Simone de Beauvoir published 23 novels, 7 non-fiction books, 1 play and 3 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Simone de Beauvoir's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Second Sex.
- What is Simone de Beauvoir's last book?
- When Things of the Spirit Come First (1979).
- What is Simone de Beauvoir's most famous book?
- The Second Sex (1949) is Simone de Beauvoir's most widely read book.
- Does Simone de Beauvoir write under a pen name?
- Yes: Simone de Beauvoir has also published as Le Castor.
- Which Simone de Beauvoir books have been adapted?
- 2 books have been adapted for film or TV, including The Blood of Others (TV, 1984) and All Men Are Mortal (film, 1995).
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.