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A review by underabrig
Lyrical and Critical Essays by Albert Camus
5.0
The most obvious question about this classic volume of essays is: "Who is it for?" It is made up of numerous small texts: three collections of prose essays, many book reviews, letters, and interviews. This makes it fairly clear that, as a product, is targeted towards people already familiar with Camus. This volume fills in gaps, and provides context and clarity. For example, there are many subtle and nuanced reflections on Camus' notion of 'the Absurd' without any theoretical details - it is assumed that the reader is already familiar with the concept. The texts contained in this book are enriching, and help us to deepen our already existing understanding of Camus' writings and philosophy. This is the goal of 'Lyrical and Critical Essays'.
But that in itself is a shame. There is more in this volume than what is useful to the Camus scholar. The prose collections, particularly Nuptials, are excellent on their own merits. They offer some of Camus' most expressive and vivid writing, and include meditations on the sensuousness of nature that are unmatched. Camus' naturalism in these essays evokes an expressive and vivid passion that puts the reader back in touch with the world and reaches out beyond the absurd condition of the individual in its relationship to the world, which is perhaps the most prominent common theme in Camus' narrative novels. These prose essays aim at an entirely different target than the novels and use different means to reach them while still sitting comfortably within Camus' style. Ellen Conroy Kennedy's translation is particularly valuable in this aspect, as it carries the complex and Romantic richness of Camus' descriptive voice while preserving the structural twists of Modernist stream-of-consciousness. Such a feat of translation is impressive, given that French has a tolerance for run-on sentences and compound phrases that English does not.
Though as a volume this book is most valuable to Camus' established fans, there are many elements which should appeal to anyone looking for 20th Century Romantic prose. Personally, the lyrical essays in this volume are my favourite Camus writings so far. There is a secure balance between pessimism and optimism, a meditative reflection on the historical context of looming and passing war, and a delicate fusion of Romantic and Modernist techniques. It's a rare and brilliant style, particularly amongst today's literature.
But that in itself is a shame. There is more in this volume than what is useful to the Camus scholar. The prose collections, particularly Nuptials, are excellent on their own merits. They offer some of Camus' most expressive and vivid writing, and include meditations on the sensuousness of nature that are unmatched. Camus' naturalism in these essays evokes an expressive and vivid passion that puts the reader back in touch with the world and reaches out beyond the absurd condition of the individual in its relationship to the world, which is perhaps the most prominent common theme in Camus' narrative novels. These prose essays aim at an entirely different target than the novels and use different means to reach them while still sitting comfortably within Camus' style. Ellen Conroy Kennedy's translation is particularly valuable in this aspect, as it carries the complex and Romantic richness of Camus' descriptive voice while preserving the structural twists of Modernist stream-of-consciousness. Such a feat of translation is impressive, given that French has a tolerance for run-on sentences and compound phrases that English does not.
Though as a volume this book is most valuable to Camus' established fans, there are many elements which should appeal to anyone looking for 20th Century Romantic prose. Personally, the lyrical essays in this volume are my favourite Camus writings so far. There is a secure balance between pessimism and optimism, a meditative reflection on the historical context of looming and passing war, and a delicate fusion of Romantic and Modernist techniques. It's a rare and brilliant style, particularly amongst today's literature.