Nausea Chapter 3 Summary

Tuesday, 30 January

  • The entry starts with the phrase, "Nothing new." But it ironically continues for several pages, which is a lot of description for something that's not new.
  • He has worked on his book about Rollebon.
  • Then he's in a place called the Café Mably eating a sandwich. He reflects on how he lives alone and is always alone, if not physically than mentally. He doesn't connect with other human beings.
  • He does connect with delicious, delicious sandwiches, though.
  • He does admit that he hangs out with the "Self-Taught Man" (or STM) now and then, but the guy isn't really a friend. He also cavorts with a woman named Francoise who runs a bar. Basically, he asks her to sleep with him when he wants sex, and she always agrees after closing the bar for the night. He knows, though, that she sleeps with many men besides him. He barely ever speaks to her, though.
  • He used to think a lot about a girl named Anny whom he used to go out with. But she left him and now he's all alone.
  • He has trouble looking at physical objects for some reason. They fill him with a sense of dread.
  • He feels himself slipping towards fear. But again, he's not sure why. He remembers a crazy person he saw when he was younger and worries that this is the future that awaits him.
  • Earlier in the day, he saw a piece of paper lying on the ground and couldn't bring himself to bend down and pick it up. He has no clue why, but for some reason, he no longer felt like he was in control of his actions.
  • It's surprising, since he's a really big fan of picking up things he finds in the street.
  • His ex-lover Anny used to get mad at him for picking up dirty things and looking like a homeless person.
  • The reason he couldn't pick up the paper is because lately, he's been feeling as though objects are touching him rather than the other way around.
  • He remembers picking up a pebble at the beach a few days before and feeling like the stone was transmitting a weird feeling into his hand. Like a sort of… nausea.
  • Title alert. Wee-ooo, wee-ooo, wee-ooo (that's our title alert siren).