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chou520's review against another edition
never before have i cried this hard while reading anything written by albert camus, aka mr snoozefest extraordinare. this is one of his first (and actually perhaps only!) writings to cover the theme of love, and of course, being who he is, he absolutely cannot be chill about it.
it’s hard to factor in the sentiment of love with that of the absurd. so much of acknowledging the absurd is acknowledging the despair and suffering that comes with it. but what about love? is love factored into the necessary revolt against an irrational and meaningless universe?
if you know camus, you know the answer is no. the absurd shows up in two clear ways in this manuscript, at least to me. firstly: the main character cannot help but love and yearn for his family, despite the fact that they ultimately kill him (in his intimate effort to love them, he finds his demise). and secondly, the murderer in question basks in the absurdity and despair of killing her brother rather than bending to the conventional reaction of, like, killing yourself or something. it’s all very… dreary.
but despite such a conclusion, i can’t help but see something more of camus than just the despair. some lines feel almost too intimate. how much of the characters monologues are fictional, and how much of them are his own? at some parts it’s like he’s speaking to you, the reader, directly, and it’s eerie. there’s a hope that peeks through despite his best effort otherwise. and you gotta love him for that hypocrisy.
“Anything that could last through twenty years of silence deserves the name of love.”
“I ask for so little. There have always been some things I couldn't bring myself to say. But let me offer this. I believe that kindness could play part in the life that we've shared, if only you would stay.”
it’s hard to factor in the sentiment of love with that of the absurd. so much of acknowledging the absurd is acknowledging the despair and suffering that comes with it. but what about love? is love factored into the necessary revolt against an irrational and meaningless universe?
if you know camus, you know the answer is no. the absurd shows up in two clear ways in this manuscript, at least to me. firstly: the main character cannot help but love and yearn for his family, despite the fact that they ultimately kill him (in his intimate effort to love them, he finds his demise). and secondly, the murderer in question basks in the absurdity and despair of killing her brother rather than bending to the conventional reaction of, like, killing yourself or something. it’s all very… dreary.
but despite such a conclusion, i can’t help but see something more of camus than just the despair. some lines feel almost too intimate. how much of the characters monologues are fictional, and how much of them are his own? at some parts it’s like he’s speaking to you, the reader, directly, and it’s eerie. there’s a hope that peeks through despite his best effort otherwise. and you gotta love him for that hypocrisy.
“Anything that could last through twenty years of silence deserves the name of love.”
“I ask for so little. There have always been some things I couldn't bring myself to say. But let me offer this. I believe that kindness could play part in the life that we've shared, if only you would stay.”
fergoose_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
it’s not awful, the plot is actually super enjoyable but camus writes this one like it’s a shakespeare piece and it comes off so unrealistic and over-the-top that it detracts from the experience reading it, it’s so unnecessarily flowery in all the wrong places
matin45's review against another edition
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
leahkyraah's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
universalgramarye's review against another edition
2.0
Camus has a habit of writing the same story over and over again with slightly different characters and circumstances. It gets old quick.
booli987's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kikalox's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0