Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
existentialism at its sharpest! camus confronts the absurdity of life without offering false comfort, which feels brutally honest but also freeing. his depiction of sisyphus—eternally pushing that boulder, fully aware of the futility, becomes this quiet act of rebellion. instead of despairing over meaninglessness, camus makes sisyphus defiant, almost heroic in his persistence. the writing is direct, never indulgent and forces you to sit with the discomfort of existence but ultimately leaves you feeling oddly empowered. life might be absurd, but it’s still ours to live
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
reflective
fast-paced
When I was young I loved Greek mythology, and now that I’m a bit less young I love movies like Amelie or books like Invisible Monsters. I see the web of stories that has always drawn me in, and sitting at the center is this 120 page essay that is the culmination of what the Greeks were trying so hard to accept about life, and the stepping stone of so much media that influences me today.
When it was all said and done, I felt like I understood exactly why it’s classic literature. Strongly warrants a reread, and definitely not an easy literacy experience, but if you can tough it out and consult Sparknotes + a dictionary + Wikipedia when necessary, it’s worth your while. He essentially addresses the nihilistic reader, apathetic towards religion and devoid of hope, in why life is worth living even if nothing is promised and everything is trivial. It's also interesting that his analysis of "the creator" serves as pretty solid writing advice as well, where absurdist literature doesn't try to force meaning at the writing stage (and is better for it).
Probably the closest feeling to a lobotomy. The idea of the “absurd man” felt so foreign to me, but the passages on the actor and the conquerer really made the concept click. Lowkey a great idea for an “absurd man personality test” or something LMAO. I’m going to revisit The Stranger and Blade Runner 2049, I think a fresh lens about absurdism would make me enjoy those a lot more.
Even having read the final The Myth of Sisyphus essay prior to reading the full book, I still felt the wave of hope and clarity other people probably feel reading this for the first time. We can live happy, fulfilling lives without the peace of a divine power. The idea that “all is well” regardless of the futility of our actions… beautiful.
When it was all said and done, I felt like I understood exactly why it’s classic literature. Strongly warrants a reread, and definitely not an easy literacy experience, but if you can tough it out and consult Sparknotes + a dictionary + Wikipedia when necessary, it’s worth your while. He essentially addresses the nihilistic reader, apathetic towards religion and devoid of hope, in why life is worth living even if nothing is promised and everything is trivial. It's also interesting that his analysis of "the creator" serves as pretty solid writing advice as well, where absurdist literature doesn't try to force meaning at the writing stage (and is better for it).
Probably the closest feeling to a lobotomy. The idea of the “absurd man” felt so foreign to me, but the passages on the actor and the conquerer really made the concept click. Lowkey a great idea for an “absurd man personality test” or something LMAO. I’m going to revisit The Stranger and Blade Runner 2049, I think a fresh lens about absurdism would make me enjoy those a lot more.
Even having read the final The Myth of Sisyphus essay prior to reading the full book, I still felt the wave of hope and clarity other people probably feel reading this for the first time. We can live happy, fulfilling lives without the peace of a divine power. The idea that “all is well” regardless of the futility of our actions… beautiful.
We all have to push our own boulders only to have them roll back down. Life is essentially absurd.
reflective
slow-paced
reflective
slow-paced
idk man, I'll come back to it later
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Wowowow. This topic of the absurd is so interesting. I feel a more accurate sense of what freedom really is and I enjoyed the style of this book. Not much more to say, just absolutely excellent.
dark
hopeful
reflective