I didn't get it.

**The Meaning of Life: A Reflection on Camus' Essay**

I therefore conclude that the meaning of life is the most urgent of questions — Camus

The metaphor of Sisyphus endlessly pushing the stone up the hill is a frequent topic in my household. As Camus is one of my favorite writers, I decided to delve into this essay.

Camus' initial thoughts on suicide as a decision regarding whether life is worth living seemed somewhat clumsy, as he didn't fully recognize the importance of mental health. Although he initially drew loose parallels between suicide and the meaning of life, and then critiqued Kierkegaard and other philosophers, he eventually turned to discussing Sisyphus and his central thesis that life is meaningful yet requires an embrace of absurdism. I must admit that the final pages were beautifully written.

Sisyphus is the absurd hero. He is, as much through his passions as through his torture. His scorn of the gods, his hatred of death, and his passion for life won him that unspeakable penalty in which the whole being is exerted toward accomplishing nothing. This is the price that must be paid for the passions of this earth

And he concludes with this powerful statement:

The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.

I rate this essay 4 stars. I confess that my rating is more a reflection of my agreement with the seminal conclusion and the final pages. Some of the critiques were a bit beyond my understanding. However, Camus' exploration of the meaning of life through the lens of Sisyphus is thought-provoking and ultimately inspiring. It makes us question our own lives and the value we place on our struggles and passions.

Since it is 'the thing' nowadays to put lots of sparkly gifs and pics in a review, who am I to differ?

It seems that in the current digital age, adding eye-catching visual elements to a review has become a popular trend.

And here I am, following suit.

As you can see, there are numerous images presented here.

Each one might contribute to enhancing the overall aesthetic and engaging the reader.

Maybe they can help to convey certain emotions or ideas that words alone might not be able to fully express.

Or perhaps they are just there to add a touch of fun and sparkle to the review.

After all, in a world where attention spans are short, it's important to find ways to capture and hold the reader's interest.

Whether these images truly serve their purpose or not, only time will tell.

But for now, let's just enjoy the visual盛宴 that is this review.

And don't forget to check out the spoiler at the end!

"They bear away from their light, while their strict lord Death bids them to dance... and the rain washes, and cleanses the salt of their tears from their cheeks."

Absurd enough.

To be continued..

And that is indeed genius:

the intelligence that knows its frontiers.

This statement holds profound significance. It implies that true genius lies not only in having great knowledge and ability but also in being aware of the limitations and boundaries of one's understanding.

The description mentions that this is one of the most influential works of the century, crucial for the exposition of existentialist thought. Influenced by works like Don Juan and Kafka's novels, these essays commence with a meditation on suicide, a fundamental question in an absurd universe lacking order or meaning.

The opening paragraph emphasizes that the only truly serious philosophical problem is suicide. Judging the worth of life is the fundamental question of philosophy, preceding all other inquiries. Nietzsche's claim about a philosopher preaching by example further highlights the importance of this reply.

The author's aside about dipping into this work while reading Nine Lives and the news about the Jains adds an interesting context. The observation that there are few words despite many high star results leads to the question of whether people avoid contemplating death.

The author's annoyance at the lack of consolation for the half dead, such as those in a coma or suffering from terminal illnesses, shows a concern for the human condition.

Despite its short length, this work should engage the thinking person's mind throughout their lifespan, as nothing here is inconsequential.

The additional information about Peregrinus Proteus, a Greek Cynic philosopher who committed suicide at the Olympic Games, provides an example of a radical act related to the theme of life and death.

The different sections of the work, such as "An Absurd Reasoning," "The Absurd Man," and "Absurd Creation," suggest a comprehensive exploration of the absurdity of human existence.

The appendices, including "Hope And The Absurd In The Work Of Franz Kafka," offer further insights and connections to other works.

The descriptions of places like Algiers, with its unique openness and the beauty of the race, add a sensory and emotional dimension to the work.

Overall, this work invites readers to reflect on the profound questions of life, death, and the nature of human existence in an absurd world.

“Is one to die voluntarily or to hope in spite of everything?”

This profound question haunts me and I carry the book containing it almost everywhere I go.

Whenever I have a spare 10 to 15 minutes to think, I eagerly pull it out and search for some marked passages.

I then attempt to decipher the hidden meanings within them.

It is truly challenging to put into words the profound effect that this book, MoS, has had on me.

It's as if the world around me has become more vivid, with colours standing out more brightly.

The grass seems greener than ever before.

Although monotony is ever present in life, as soon as I notice it, it fades into ambiguity.

Life may seem to have no meaning at times, but that very fact opens up countless possibilities and doors.

I may be misinterpreting the point of this book (I sincerely hope not; as I've said, it's extremely difficult to express in words), but without a doubt, this is one of the books that has completely transformed my world.

**"The Myth of Sisyphus": A Philosophical Masterpiece**

"The Myth of Sisyphus" is a philosophical book consisting of a collection of essays through which Albert Camus presents a summary of his thoughts and his life, literary, and philosophical views on existence. In short, "absurdity" is the starting point from which man departs in his different thoughts and cultures. It is always the conflict between absurdity and reason, absurdity and reality, absurdity and existence, and absurdity and happiness. That conflict may be between opposites, but Albert Camus found it to be a proximity, complementarity, and interaction that is likely to lead to happiness.

The book is small in size but requires precision and focus in reading. Albert Camus addressed through it various issues that were the titles of its chapters. The main title was "The Absurd Reasoning," which was accompanied by secondary titles such as the absurdity of suicide, philosophical suicide, and absurd freedom. In each aspect, he touched on the idea of death from several religious, doctrinal, and intellectual perspectives, centered on the absurd pattern in the management of thought.
The second part was dedicated to the major title "The Absurd Man." He described the situation of the Don Juan-like group of men, moving towards the concept of male comedy and arriving at an explanation of male power represented by invasions and the warrior man, emphasizing here the importance of the connection between man and the earth, showing that grandeur lies in protest and sacrifice that has no future. This part began with the line: "Victory will be sung. But there is only one victory and it is eternal. It is the victory that I will never achieve." Reinforcing with that the repeated absurd theory that he insists on throughout the pages of the book.
As for the third part, it was dedicated to explaining the absurdity of literary and philosophical works. He chose the character Kirillov in the novel "The Devils" by the Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky, talking about the idea of "rational suicide." He noted the proximity between this character and what Dostoyevsky had expressed in "The Diary of a Writer" and gave it the name "rational suicide" in the December - January issue of 1876. Camus believes that in Dostoyevsky's works, existence is either a lie or eternal because it always goes to the extreme in its solutions.
From Dostoyevsky, he moved to Kafka's works, talking about his novels "The Trial" and "The Metamorphosis" and how to introduce the symbolism related to absurdity through the characters and settings. This part was added later to the content of the book.
Also in this third and final part of the book, Camus wrote about philosophy and the novel and touched on the works that do not seek through their writing for eternity. He compared the books that seek glory and grandeur as those that sing the material at the expense of the spiritual, while the books that are considered more pure thinkers reflect the images of their works from clear symbols with limited thought, thus being inspiring.
Finally, we come to a special part which is the title of the book "The Myth of Sisyphus." This part, despite its importance, did not take a large space in this interesting philosophical work. Albert Camus had previously delved into the myth of Sisyphus in depth through his master's thesis, which was a prelude to his later literary fame that lasted until he won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957. Albert Camus focused on the situation of Sisyphus, the punished one in eternity because according to the myth, he did not obey the gods. He described the act of rolling a huge rock from the pit to the top and when the rock reaches the top, it rolls back down to the pit. Albert Camus stopped at the situation of Sisyphus to take up the rock again, likening his repetitive work to what workers do daily in their ordinary lives, arriving at the idea that this repetition would not have caused pain in the one who does it if he were not aware of its repetition. Awareness is the cause of pain for the soul. But on the other hand, this awareness can take a positive turn because this rock and this repetition have become Sisyphus' own world that no one will take away from him, and this resistance to reaching the top again and again is only a means to touch the human heart. Arriving at the conclusion: "One must imagine Sisyphus happy."
It is a rich and profound book, every line on every page is worthy of stopping and reflecting on its depth. I have tried to give a comprehensive picture of the book as much as possible, but for a detailed explanation, and despite its small size, it may perhaps require writing theses or composing a book. I read it in French, the language in which it was written.

Perfect reading during the times of covid19.

As a filmmaker, I was truly amazed by his section on absurd creation. It was absolutely phenomenal. The whole set of essays on the myth of Sisyphus was near perfection. It's no wonder they have such great staying power and still seem completely relevant today.

Given the strength of the first section, the last few essays might seem slightly unnecessary and almost diminished the impact of the previous works. However, as someone who had the opportunity to visit Algeria and go to Oran for these very reasons, I found these pieces quite interesting.

I highly recommend this reading. It offers deep insights and thought-provoking perspectives that can enhance our understanding of various aspects of life, especially during these challenging times. Whether you are a filmmaker like me or simply a lover of good literature, this work is sure to leave a lasting impression.

This was a bit different from the Camus I was accustomed to.

The main essay was an out-and-out philosophical work that tackled the question of suicide. It lacked the typical Camusian punch, where the profound philosophical pearls of wisdom stealthily creep up on you while you're engrossed in some aspect of the story. This one was purely philosophical, without a story, and you had to read carefully and keep track of the premises to see if they supported the conclusion. This is precisely the kind of philosophy I don't favor. The kind where the rules of logic entangle the writer and he has to tiptoe around the premises to ensure they uphold the conclusion. I only read this because it was written by Camus; for any other writer, it would have served as a beer coaster in my room. I prefer the philosophy that is conveyed through fiction. Many people call it pseudophilosophy, but in my opinion, this is the real philosophy, with real characters and events unfolding in real time, not some systematic way for white men to befuddle themselves with some abstract notions.....

The other essays, however, were the "real" Camus. The one I'm used to. I enjoyed these more than the main one. I'm not sure what it says about me that I relished the side dishes more than the main course, but to each his own. I especially liked The Return to Tipasa. I had just returned from visiting my parents about a week before reading it, and many of his observations struck a chord with me. Summer in Algiers was also good, Oran was kind of okay, and that final interview was divine. If you're like me and enjoy Camus' fictional works, just push through the main essay; the real essence is in the other essays.

Dense as hell but worth the effort.

This statement implies that something is extremely complex or difficult to understand, yet the effort put into it is well worth the result.

It could refer to a variety of things, such as a difficult academic subject, a complex piece of literature, or a challenging task at work.

When faced with such density, it may be tempting to give up or avoid it altogether. However, those who persevere and put in the effort to understand and master it will often reap the rewards.

It may require patience, dedication, and a willingness to learn from mistakes. But in the end, the sense of accomplishment and the knowledge gained will make it all worthwhile.

So, the next time you encounter something that seems dense as hell, don't be afraid to roll up your sleeves and put in the effort. You may be surprised at what you can achieve.

Okay... so um... I say read the novels.

I mean maybe I'm just stupid these days but this is not as good. It seems to me that Camus has a fundamental difficulty.

Um... carrying his own train of thought, he's far too all over the place for me here which made it almost impossible to follow the logic which made it impossible to stay engaged.

I'm really debating stars I want to give it 2 cause I know what Camus is capable of, but I also know the ideas that are found under this mess and when they surface they are really something.

I've tried to read this so many times and in the past I always assumed my inabilities were the problem, but I do this, I read philosophy. I don't think it's me.

Perhaps Camus' work in this particular novel is a bit too convoluted. The disjointed nature of his thoughts makes it a challenge to truly understand and engage with the text. However, I still recognize Camus' talent and the potential depth of his ideas.

Maybe with more careful analysis and a deeper exploration, I can uncover the hidden gems within this seemingly chaotic work.

Despite my struggles, I'm not ready to give up on Camus just yet. I'll continue to try and make sense of his words and see if I can gain a better appreciation for his unique perspective.

Camus is everywhere, and his thought seems to be extremely disorganized. I can't help but think that it's all just babbling.

To be honest, I'm actually quite amazed at how popular this is, considering that it's really difficult to find any essence or comprehension within it.

The entire thought could have been effectively conveyed in just about a thousand words or so, but instead, it's spread out over almost 200 pages. It really reminds me of Derrida and the other postmodernists. They use a lot of words but lack directness. They present simple or even banal ideas in an unnecessarily complicated manner.

It makes one wonder if the complexity is just a guise to make the ideas seem more profound when in reality, they might not be all that revolutionary or ground-breaking.

Perhaps we should look beyond the elaborate language and convoluted arguments to see if there is truly any substance worth exploring.

In his essay 'Myth of Sisyphus', Camus undertakes the seemingly impossible task of exploring the meaning of life. He begins by delving into how different philosophers approach this problem, stating that the only truly serious philosophical problem is suicide. Life, according to him, is rife with absurdity, and those who can accept this absurdity will not strive to find meaning in life. An absurd man fears nothing.

Camus uses examples from Greek legends and great artists like Shakespeare, Goethe, Dostoevsky, and Kafka to support his argument. He sums up by suggesting that the cursed life of Sisyphus was worth living and that he would have enjoyed it. However, I'm not sure if Camus truly solves the problem. I don't believe it can ever be solved philosophically. Suicides have their own reasoning, and reason is often a slave to passion. Camus' passion drives him to oppose suicide and formulate a philosophy accordingly.

Despite my doubts, I love Camus' writing style. His profound and thought-provoking quotes, such as "We get into the habit of living before acquiring the habit of thinking" and "Like great works, deep feelings always mean more than they are conscious of saying," resonate with me. His exploration of the human condition and the absurdity of life is both captivating and enlightening.

"Life is worth living is the most necessary of assumptions and were it not assumed, the most impossible of conclusions" - Santayana