Despite Desire: Pillow Talk with Nietzsche is a compact, yet ambitious philosophical play by Angel L.G.. It stages an imagined encounter between Friedrich Nietzsche and a sex worker named Rachel in 19th-century Switzerland. Combining the intimacy of chamber theatre with the rigour of philosophical dialogue, the play feels like a modern reimagining of the traditional form of a Socratic dialogue. As someone who reads philosophy as a hobby, I was eager to get my teeth stuck into this book, and for the most part I wasn’t disappointed.
The play is set in a Basel brothel called The Odyssey in 1876. Its premise is deliberately constrained, like something Samuel Beckett would write. Rachel receives Nietzsche as a client over three successive visits. Instead of physical contact, the two engage in extended dialogue that oscillates between flirtation and debate. Nietzsche’s lines are drawn largely from his own writings, while Rachel’s replies are original and contemporary, creating a deliberate anachronism that allows Angel to test 19th-century philosophy against modern sensibilities.
A foreword by John Altmann situates Despite Desire within Angel’s broader trilogy—following Despite Wisdom and Despite Paradise—and introduces the author’s guiding thesis of “immanence”: the belief that meaning must be sought in our daily lives rather than beyond them. Altmann identifies the trilogy’s recurring existentialist motif that “Purpose is Paradise” as Angel’s answer to the classical question of how one ought to live. It is nice to have some background on the writer. However, I admit I found it a bit confusing how the foreword refers to Angel as if he is a well-known philosopher, notably referring to his “mature period”. I would have appreciated more biographical information as well.
One thing I did enjoy was that Rachel, the play’s central figure and notably a sex worker, is portrayed with intelligence and nuance. Angel resists caricature, presenting her neither as victim nor as moral corrective but as a pragmatic thinker. Her initial scepticism toward Nietzsche’s pronouncements gives way to a tentative curiosity. Nietzsche, for his part, is mostly presented not as a prophet but as a man whose theories oft falter when confronted with Rachel’s experience. His aphorisms, apparently drawn from Human, All Too Human, are met with Rachel’s incisive rebuttals.
Stylistically, Angel’s writing style is accessible despite its somewhat intellectual subject matter. The text is composed of dialogue, occasionally punctuated by stage directions. The rhythm of the exchanges is quick-fire, often functioning like a duel of ideas: short statements, pauses, and reversals. Nietzsche’s philosophical education contrasts with Rachel’s less prestigious background, and through this premise, the play develops its tension. My main criticism would be that the characters do not really speak like historical figures, using modern phrases like “What’s up?” I admit, this brought me out of it slightly. However, perhaps this is intentional to make the play more accessible to modern readers.
While the play’s limited setting and niche subject matter may limit its appeal, in some ways its restraint lends coherence and increases immersion. Angel’s decision to forgo overt drama or a clear plot reminded me a bit of the Before Sunrise trilogy. By the conclusion, Rachel’s turn to writing possibly serves as both literal and symbolic resolution: she moves from responding to ideas to producing her own. Altmann’s framing essay, though dense, enhanced my understanding of Angel’s philosophical ambitions, as I admit otherwise I’d be a bit lost. The final poem supposedly written by Rachel is also a nice addition, providing an explanation for the title.
Despite Desire is ultimately less a play about Nietzsche or sex work than a Socratic dialogue exploring Angel’s philosophy. Although brief in length and minimalist in staging, the play is for the most part an enjoyable read that certainly has a very creative premise. I especially appreciated that Angel’s fusion of philosophy and theatre feels neither academic nor dumbed down for a regular audience. The work’s combination of philosophical discussion and theatre makes it as a distinctive and worthwhile contribution to modern philosophical fiction.
Final verdict: Although slightly niche in its target audience, Despite Desire is a terrific play that explores philosophical ideas in an accessible, thought-provoking way, making it a compelling read for those willing to engage with its depth. A book for all the thinkers left out there.
You can get your copy of Despite Desire, Pillow Talk with Nietzsche here!
