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A review by almightyslo
The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus
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.