The summation of the existentialist philosophy threaded throughout all his writing, Albert Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus is translated by Justin O'Brien with an introduction by James Wood in Penguin Classics.
In this profound and moving philosophical statement, Camus poses the fundamental question: is life worth living? If human existence holds no significance, what can keep us from suicide? As Camus argues, if there is no God to give meaning to our lives, humans must take on that purpose themselves. This is our 'absurd' task, like Sisyphus forever rolling his rock up a hill, as the inevitability of death constantly overshadows us. Written during the bleakest days of the Second World War, The Myth of Sisyphus (Le Mythe de Sisyphe) argues for an acceptance of reality that encompasses revolt, passion and, above all, liberty
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Hailed as a classic work of existentialism Camus outlines his conception of 'The Absurd', a condition of being human, caught between the drive for meaning and the lack of meaning. He works through various models of the Absurd Hero: he who does not reject 'the drive' or 'the lack', but lives in the tension between. The beauty and the lyricism of Camus' prose, even in translation, is astounding. - Jeremy (QBD)
Guest, 21/02/2019
