Writing and reading are two sides of the same historical event, and the freedom that the author invites us to is not merely the abstract consciousness of being free. To speak clearly, freedom is not given; freedom is earned in every historical circumstance.

Every book proposes a specific freedom based on a particular alienation... And since the freedoms of the author and the reader seek each other and interact through the world, one could equally well claim that when the author chooses a certain aspect of the world, they also decide who their reader will be, and vice versa, when the author chooses their reader, they also decide what the subject will be.

Thus, all literary works include within them the image of the reader for whom they are intended. (J.-P. S.) In this work, Sartre engages with literature and examines the art of writing, without prejudice, trying to answer the questions: What does it mean to write? Why does one write? For whom? A fundamental text on literary problems, combative and at the same time profound.

[Excerpt from the publisher's or edition's presentation text]