Product Description The final journals of Albert Camus were withheld from publication in France for twenty-nine years after his death in 1960, and are now published in English for the first time. His final journals offer a rare, intimate glimpse into the mind of one of the most important men of letters and authors of twentieth-century French literature.
A 'must' for any college-level collection strong in CamusJune 8, 2008 Midwest Book Review(Oregon, WI USA) 6 out of 8 found this review helpful
College-level collections strong on Camus will find this a special acquisition presenting the notebooks withheld in France for some 29 years after his death, appearing for the first time in English. The first two volumes of his notebooks began simply but this concluding volume was written over the last nine years that he lived, and reads more intimately, like a diary. From his travels to his observations about life and politics, this concludes a fine expose of Camus' life and thoughts and is a 'must' for any college-level collection strong in Camus, particularly those who have his previous earlier notebooks.
Delicious as the earlier volumesNovember 9, 2008 Marcel Louis 2 out of 3 found this review helpful
In his notebooks, Albert Camus is truthful, intelligent, articulate, and absolutely never dull. He was the rarest of beings, especially for a man; within Camus, mind-truths and body-truths remained wedded all his days, and nights. Including the contradictions--those are married, too. The guy is irresistible. This volume of his carnets is as delicious as the ones that came before. No matter what your mood--happy, sad, bored (which is probably the same as sad)--the jottings and drafts of Camus' pulsings and articulations will take you where you are, lift and turn you, will change your life.
Invaluable for Those Drawn to CamusJune 4, 2009 Daniel Raphael This book will be most useful to those who may want insight into Camus's thoughts in process of working up to the writing of various pieces. There are extensive notes--as is explained in The Afterword--written for his posthumously produced work, The First Man.
Many--perhaps as much as one-half--of the total entries are letters to other people, descriptions of his days and the locales in which he spent them, and a potpourri of aphorisms, phrases, and single words. Occasionally, there is a gem:
"In the morning...there is dew on the ruins. The world's youngest freshness on what is most ancient. Therein lies my faith and, in my opinion, the principle of art and life."
More often, these observations and expressions have no obvious direct significance other than for their autobiographical value.
This was the last complete writing by Camus before his death in an automobile accident. For that reason alone, its place in history and literature is assured.
A wonderful readMay 20, 2008 Constantine E. Pavlis(5 minutes from you) 1 out of 13 found this review helpful
Nice job fuzz, now you just need to translate Hunter S. Thompson's work into French!
Sometimes InterestingMarch 18, 2009 Mr. Steiner(New York) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
These journal entries are far more cursory and selective and the beautiful journals of Gide or Kafka, but there are still glimpses into Camus' creative process and literary interests which often go unnoticed by biographers. He was surprisingly preoccupied with Don Juan and the work of Pasternak, and his explicit anti-communism comes through here repeatedly. There are numerous rough passages which would later be reworked into 'The Fall,' as well as 'Exile and the Kingdom,' but for the most part these fragments are a bit cryptic and uninteresting.
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