Nausea (1938) - A story of the melancholy and loneliness of a French intellectual. He experiences what he calls the 'Nausea'–a terrible sickness he finds pervading his existence.
The Wall (1939) - A series of short stories that reflect the life of a prisoner and his impending execution.
Sketch for a Theory of the Emotions (1939) - An argument that emotions are deliberate and an explanation as to why we intentionally choose certain emotions to feel.
The Imaginary: A Phenomenological Psychology of the Imagination (1940) - A theory on imagination and what it entails for free will as well as his existentialist thought.
Being and Nothingness (1943) - The foundational text for existentialist thought. It is a foray into radical freedom and the famous argument that 'existence precedes essence.'
The Age of Reason (1945) - A story of a philosophy professor in search of money to fund his mistress’ abortion amidst the second world war. It explores how one may go about securing freedom for one’s life.
The Reprieve (1945) - A series of reactions, from plain French citizens, to the threat of the second World War.
Existentialism Is a Humanism (1946) - An argument that Sartre’s existentialism is a useful and salient subject for humanity, and for its potential social application.
Troubled Sleep (1949) - A story detailing the defeat and dejection of French soldiers following German occupation.
The Words (1963) - Sartre’s autobiography.
The Last Chance (Unfinished) - A continuation of the previous novels pertaining to World War II, with another set of characters living through the war.
The Family Idiot (Unfinished) - A biography of Gustave Flaubert.
