A review by storyorc
The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays by Albert Camus

challenging dark hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

Didn't understand enough to give a star rating. The high-level idea that the logical conclusion to absurdism first appears to be suicide is radical (to me anyway) and exciting enough to want to understand fully Camus' claim that to evade this conclusion, "one must imagine Sisyphus happy", not to mention how one can possibly consider Sisyphus happy. It's the sort of train of thought that feels right but needs help being thought all the way through for us non-philosophers.  However, the first three-quarters of the book seemed like many words for not much additional insight and I don't know what to make of the last quarter beyond just travel writing with a philosophical bent. I certainly wouldn't take it as truth about those cultures without confirming works from people within them. 

I imagine this collection gives more the more you reread it. And benefits from finally getting around to Nietzsche. And reading Kafka's The Castle instead of giving up on him in disgust after The Trial.