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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5 stars.
Camus is one of my favorite existentialists and this collection of essays (including the renowned "Myth of Sisyphus") proves why. He has such a strong grasp on the philosophical concepts he's discussing and he manages to describe them, and explore them, in really unique ways. His philosophical voice is very literary in other words. This makes his essays more accessible and more interesting to read.
Camus is one of my favorite existentialists and this collection of essays (including the renowned "Myth of Sisyphus") proves why. He has such a strong grasp on the philosophical concepts he's discussing and he manages to describe them, and explore them, in really unique ways. His philosophical voice is very literary in other words. This makes his essays more accessible and more interesting to read.
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
The philosophy of the absurd is intriguing. For those who don’t know, Sisyphus is a Greek mythological figure who angered the gods and is forced to roll a boulder up a hill, only for it roll back down to the bottom as he reaches the top (very cruel and unusual punishment that is also reminiscent of that famous Einstein quote on the definition of insanity). While this book does not at all focus on that myth, what it does search for is a philosophical argument for the search of meaning in a world without religious belief for individuals. Covering everything from suicide to manhood, to reasoning and creation, Camus is a brilliant writer and conveys his argument to us, his interlocutors, with tremendous gusto. This was a highly enlightening read for me, particularly as a fellow atheist, allowing me to consider my own meaning in this universe through a different perspective.
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informative
slow-paced
I was honestly pretty confused / lost about 40% of the time (Camus often writes in unnecessarily confusing language and I'm also a noob at reading philosophical texts). But nonetheless, I enjoyed the premise of The Myth of Sisyphus and Camus's walk-through of the philosophy of absurdism. Essentially, the essay is a powerful affirmation to life and rejection of suicide, encouraging us to accept and embrace the absurdity and inherent meaninglessness of life. Just like Sisyphus was cursed to the same, repetitive, futile task of pushing a rock to the top of a cliff only for it to fall back down, the tasks we do in this irrational, absurd world are repetitive and monotonous. But despite this, if we ultimately accept the meaninglessness of the world, we can still find happiness in our Sisyphian lives.
The other essays in the book were quite different and honestly kind of boring to read through (though I liked "Return to Tipasia" which had beautiful prose and nostalgic themes and "The Artist and His Time" which is an interview with Camus about art and politics).
I might have misinterpreted a few ideas, but overall, this book was really insightful and transformative-- it has changed my view of the world and how one can make meaning and happiness out of this life, here and now.
The other essays in the book were quite different and honestly kind of boring to read through (though I liked "Return to Tipasia" which had beautiful prose and nostalgic themes and "The Artist and His Time" which is an interview with Camus about art and politics).
I might have misinterpreted a few ideas, but overall, this book was really insightful and transformative-- it has changed my view of the world and how one can make meaning and happiness out of this life, here and now.
reflective
medium-paced
reading this book made me appreciate Camus’s other novel “the stranger” more.