Simone Weil as we Knew Her

This is a very remarkable document, first published in English in 1953. For those unfamiliar with her, Simone Weil (1909-1943) was 'the greatest spiritual author of our times' and one where 'depths of silence have to be traversed in order to grasp the authentic meaning of her words'. Both authors were Catholic writers: Joseph-Marie Perrin was a Dominican priest while Gustave Thibon was a farmer and philosopher celebrated by the Academie Francaise. Perrin acted a a spiritual adviser to Weil and sent her to work on Thibon's farm. Perrin's contribution is both personal and theological (they had many disagreements) while Thibon's insights are rooted in everyday life with Simone Weil. Both are critical and self-critical in their approaches, which is what makes the book so riveting. Thibon speaks about the 'transcendental egoism of heroes' and the ways in which her pursuit of self-effacement created incredible problems for those around her - she refused to sleep in an ordinary bed and insisted on being lodged in a ramshackle building with a leaky roof! Given her age, it is not surprising that she remained 'as hard and unyielding as a green fruit', lacking that 'supreme peace of mind, that sweetness and all-embracing indulgence which are signs of God's maturity in man'. This is brilliant writing about a mercurial and paradoxical philosopher.