Product Description

Albert Camus, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957, always refused the existentialist label with which he is usually associated. For Camus, the world was 'absurd', without purpose, leading only unto death, yet all the more invigorating precisely because of this. Long associated with Left-Bank intellectuals, Camus' real emotional centre was always his native Algeria and the poverty of his youth. This has become even clearer with the publication of his posthumous novel "The First Man", which has catapulted Camus back into the public eye after years of excommunication by the Left for his 'un-radical' views during the Algerian war. "Introducing Camus" portrays a man who was an intellectual in the tradition of the great French humanists, a Resistance fighter during World War II, and also a great sensualist for whom sun, sea, sex, football and theatre were the answer to life's absurdity.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #97164 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

From the Author
Albert Camus, the absurdity, the existentialism and Algeria
My name is Alain Korkos, I'm the French illustrator of this book. You'll find below the text which is at the back of the cover of the english publication of this book.

"Albert Camus, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957, always refused the existentialist label which he is usually associated. For Camus, the world was absurd, without purpose, leading only unto death, yet all the more invigorating precisely because of this. Long associated with Left-Bank intellectuals, Camus' real emotional centre was always his native Algeria and the poverty of his youth. This has become even clearer with the publication of his posthumous novel THE FIRST MAN, which has catapulted Camus back into the public eye after decades of excommunication by the Left for his un-radical views during the Algerian war.

This book portrays a man who was an intellectual in the tradition of the great French humanists, a Resistance fighter during World War II, and also a great sensualist for whom sun, sea, sex, football and theatre were the answer to life's absurdity. David Mairowitz's brilliant text is beautifully illustrated by Alain Korkos."

About the Author
David Zane Mairowitz is also the author of Introducing Kafka. His plays for radio are produced in over twenty countries, and his radiophonic opera, The Voluptous Tango, won the Prix Italia Special Prize and the Sony Prize in 1997. Alain Korkos is a highly-regarding illustrator and artist who lives in Paris, and has illustrated numerous adult and children's books.

Customer Reviews

A good introduction
This is a good introduction to the life and work of the French writer Camus. The illustrations are apt and there is a surprising amount of information in the book. The emphasis is on how Camus' life and how this affected his work, with the focus on the influence of his upbringing in Algeria. I would have liked more on his philosophy, but nevertheless, this is the ebst introduction to Camus that I've yet found.