Reviews

The Sea Close By by Albert Camus

bakeyouamudpie's review

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0

franceswilde95's review against another edition

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5.0

I LOVE CAMUS HOLY MOLEY. His writing is just unbelievably gorgeous, and every time a clear and memory- imprinting quote springs out of a stream of consciousness I just want to cry with happiness that I'm not alone in the world. Possibly the most perfect 22 pages for a summer night of feeling weird of life/ death.

bunny88's review

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reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

maryaliceelange's review

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reflective relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

selaadin's review against another edition

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4.0

My opinion might be biased because the stories in this book very coincidentally related somewhat to my plane trip to Vancouver that I read this book on, but overall I really enjoyed this short and sweet narrative journey. I definitely preferred the first story to the second, but that may have just been down to personal preference.

emsemsems's review against another edition

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4.0

A couple of lovely essays from Camus - very nautical, very Mediterranean, with a splash of absurdism and 'love' (in a wider/more general sense of the word).

'[b:The Stranger|49552|The Stranger|Albert Camus|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1590930002l/49552._SY75_.jpg|3324344]' has been on my to-read list for ages now, even before I placed it on my GR reading list. I guess you can say that I was procrastinating. And reading this one was just me edging closer to Camus' work - 'dipping my toes into the water' nervously. I think I feel so nervous about it because I've already built a grand idea of him that I've grown to like too much, so I'm afraid of reading his bigger stuff and then not liking them enough - in particular 'The Outsider'/'L'estranger'.

rosekk's review against another edition

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3.0

This is my second attempt at getting on with Camus, and it's not worked out so well. I did enjoy these two short stories more than The Outsider, but I still find that his style fails to hold my attention a lot of the time.

polarisbearis810's review against another edition

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5.0

Can see the biblical influence as well as the poetic words that paint a wonderful picture to anyone who's been touched by waters and have had them never leave their being. The wanting and the emotion is deeply felt. The way the world is seen is felt in the same depth as well.

ingejanse's review against another edition

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4.0

Een hallucinant en een filosofisch verhaal, in 23 pagina's, waar je zo doorheen bent, en waar ik achterbleef met 2 ideeën. A: ik moet een zeilreis maken. B: ik moet naar een exotische stad. Beide zijn het even simpele als indrukwekkende gevolg van Camus' capaciteit om me compleet in te pakken en mee te nemen, ook al snap ik vaak niet of nauwelijks wat hij exact zegt of bedoelt.

Ik vind vooral The Sea Close By erg mooi, zijn tamelijk abstracte, esoterische verhaal over een bootreis. Ik dacht tijdens het lezen enkel en alleen: als een bootreis dit met je doet, dan stap ik nu aan boord.

Summer in Algiers is prozaïscher, omdat het realistischer is. Het is een vrij complexe beschrijving van de aard van Algiers, omdat Camus zo gedetailleerd inzoomt in hoogst specifieke eigenschappen van de bewoners, en dat vaak in zeer abstracte omschrijvingen, waardoor ik zowel zeer dichtbij kwam als zeer ver op afstand bleef. Nogmaals: helemaal niet erg, bij zo'n kort verhaal is vaagheid eerder een pre dan een contra.

Mijn enige twee problemen met deze mini-bundel, zijn de toch wel erg intellectuele pogingen om zaken te omschrijven en de daarmee gepaard gaande ongrijpbaarheid. Maar verder: erg mooi.

blueyorkie's review against another edition

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3.0

Two shortness-sunniest-funniest Camus stories. On the seashore.