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The Myth of Sisyphus, and Other Essays
The Myth of Sisyphus, and Other Essays | Albert Camus, Justin O'Brien
Essays deal with nihilism and the problem of suicide
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review
BC_Dittemore
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Pickpick

I have listened to this twice in a row now and I have come to the conclusion that I cannot listen to philosophy texts on audiobook. Perhaps it‘s because I can‘t take the time to digest what I‘m reading the same way I can with a physical book (unless I pause it every other minute).

It is no fault of Camus; there is some great stuff here, but even Edoardo Ballerini‘s fantastic voice and impeccable delivery couldn‘t keep me entirely engaged.

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Therewillbebooks
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Moving some books around. I worry I'm in over my head.

persephone1408 😂😂you can do it 2y
vlwelser 😂 great book tag choice! 2y
73 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Dostoyes
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Mehso-so

A book worth discussing more than reviewing. Sometimes the less I like a book the more I have to say about it.

review
Shaleen
The Myth of Sisyphus | Albert Camus
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Pickpick

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was condemned for all eternity to roll a rock up a mountain only to have it roll back down when he reaches the top.Sisyphus struggles perpetually without hope of success and is the ideal absurd hero according to Camus.
This book is an essay on what Camus calls the absurd and it discusses the philosophical problem of suicide. In the last part of the book Camus has analysed Kafka‘s works and is extremely interesting.

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M.V
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Paid-for-happiness.

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LiterRohde
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“Man stands face to face with the irrational. He feels within him his longing for happiness and for reason. The absurd is born of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world.”

He really needs to ditch that rock!

#QuotsyJan20 | 17: #Ditch

📷: Made with Typorama

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Emilymdxn
The Myth of Sisyphus | Albert Camus
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I wasn‘t going to buy physical books in the sales. I did get a few ebooks for my #newyearwhodis challenge with @Caterina and I said I wasn‘t gonna spend money on more physical stuff when money is tight but these were 2 for Qd and I couldn‘t resist! This is all I‘ll be getting in the sales hopefully, I‘m saving hard atm, but I don‘t regret it!

Mcastle I know what you mean. 5y
vumblereads I have no discipline when it comes to books 😂 LOVE the Neil Gaiman copy! (edited) 5y
Linsy Love Stardust! ✨ 5y
66 likes3 comments
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Krisjericho
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Not sure why Bitmoji made me a Sisyphus bitmoji, but it seems appropriate.

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saresmoore
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Look at these gifts from my sweet kiddos for Mother‘s Day! They know me so well. 🥰

readordierachel Aww, great kids 💚 5y
saresmoore @readordierachel Apparently, Elliott just went on my Etsy wishlist and picked the thing she could afford with her allowance money (the dystopian keychain), but I‘m still impressed! Happy Mother‘s Day to you! ♥️💐 5y
batsy Lovely! Happy Mother's Day! ❤️💐 5y
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readordierachel That's so sweet! (And thank you 🤗) 5y
saresmoore @batsy Thank you, friend! 😘 5y
LeahBergen Aww! 💕💕💕 5y
vivastory What perfect gifts. Happy Mother's Day, friend! 5y
saresmoore @vivastory Thank you, Scott! 5y
78 likes8 comments
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Khalifus

A book is not only a companion in the hardest times of your life, it can also be a life changer, it is really odd that hundreds of pages written by someone, somewhere in a whole different era, could get straight into your heart, break the walls of your mind, and speak to you in your hardest situation better than any creature can do, and every written word becomes weirdly relatable. This one of the books that felt me more than any living soul.

CrowCAH Welcome to the Litsy family!!! 📚 5y
tpixie Well said!! Welcome to Litsy!!! 🥳📚🥳 5y
BookwormAHN Welcome to Litsy 😺 5y
See All 17 Comments
jenreads7 Welcome to Litsy! 🎉📚 5y
Khalifus Thank you for the warm welcome, I hope I'd be a good contributor to this glorified community. 🙏🏻🌻📚📝 5y
jillannjohn Welcome to Litsy! 5y
JanuarieTimewalker13 Welcome to Litsy📚❤️ 5y
ladym30 Welcome to Litsy! 5y
rretzler Welcome to Litsy! 📖 5y
Geeklet Welcome to Litsy!!! I look forward to seeing more of your posts. 5y
SW-T Welcome to Litsy!😊 (ps-for people to see your replies, use their @litsyname in your response 🙂) 5y
Khalifus @SW-T Thank you for the tip, and the welcoming. Much appreciated! 5y
SW-T You‘re welcome 😊 Happy reading! 5y
Chelleo Welcome to Litsy! Hope these #Litsytips by @RaimeyGallant http://bit.ly/litsytips and #LitsyHowTo videos: goo.gl/UrCpoU are helpful. There‘s so many fun things to do: book exchanges, buddy reads, photo challenges and more! #LitsyWelcomeWagon 5y
RaimeyGallant Welcome! 5y
AnimalRiotPress 💛 Welcome to Litsy 🐇 5y
29 likes2 stack adds17 comments
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Faibka
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“Artists of the past could at least keep silent in the face of tyranny. The tyrannies of today are improved; they no longer admit of silence or neutrality. One has to take a stand, be either for or against. Well, in that case, I am against.”

I wonder what Camus would make of today.

Bookwomble He'd be against it 😉 6y
Faibka @Bookwomble lol, agreed! And he would metaphorically run out of paper writing about it (edited) 6y
25 likes2 comments
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Faibka
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“There is something implacable about the desert. The mineral sky of Oran, her streets and trees in their coating of dust -everything contributes to creating this dense and impassible universe in which the heart and mind are never distracted from themselves, nor from their sole object, which is man.”
From the essay “The Minotaur”

Image source: http://www.villedoran.com/p5.html

jveezer Just put a hold on some of his essays at the library. Excited to read them. 6y
Faibka @jveezer you‘re in for such a treat! Absolutely brilliant, I hope you enjoy them :) 6y
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Faibka
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“The human heart has a tiresome tendency to label as fate only what crushes it.”

Suet624 Ouch. Yup. 6y
Faibka @Suet624 my same reaction when I first read it! 6y
26 likes2 comments
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Faibka
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@vivastory @batsy thought you might find this interesting. Camus‘ take on Dostoyevsky :)

vivastory Fascinating. I need to move this up my TBR. I recently reread The Stranger & thought about it for several days. 6y
Faibka @vivastory it is an I incredible read! I hope you get to it soon. His analysis of Kafka‘s work is also fascinating, unfortunately I‘ve only read the metamorphosis, so I feel I‘m missing out. My TBR has significantly expanded after this little essay. And the Stranger merits a reread on my part! 6y
batsy So much food for thought there. Thanks for sharing. I love it! Especially the part about how modern Dostoevsky is. I read Sisyphus when I was too young to appreciate it I think and must have missed all these references (hadn't read much Dostoevsky back then, either). Can't wait to give this a re-read at some point. 6y
Faibka @batsy definitely worth it! I‘m actually planning to reread it at some point since I did miss a LOT of the references :( I‘m hoping to read more Kafka (just got The Trial and The Castle) and The Possesed by D. Would be interesting to see how your reading experience changes now that you‘ve read more of Dosto :) 6y
19 likes4 comments
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Faibka
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“Creating is living doubly. The groping, anxious quest of a Proust, his meticulous collecting of flowers, of wallpapers, and of anxieties, signifies nothing else.”

Anna40 Is that your backyard? Looks like a nice place to read. 6y
Faibka @Anna40 I wish! It‘s a park across from where I work. I was reading during lunch :) 6y
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Faibka
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“A man wants to earn money in order to be happy and his whole effort and the best of a life are devoted to the earning of that money. Happiness is forgotten; the means are taken for the end.”

Unless you‘re lucky enough to have a fulfilling job that you enjoy. Ugh, It‘s too early in the morning to start getting depressed, lol.

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Faibka
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“There is so much stubborn hope in the human heart”.

Indeed there is. Happy Tuesday :)

CoffeeAndABook Yes‼️ That‘s actually something I really love about the human heart 💚 6y
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Faibka
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“Conquerors sometimes talk about vanquishing and overcoming. But it is always ‘overcoming oneself‘ that they mean.”

Reading during my lunch break, wish I had the day off, cloudy days are perfect for reading! 🌧

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Leftcoastzen
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Reading that @Trashcanman is diving into the tagged book, these beauties were in my stash.I mourn the fact that people don‘t have a bookstore around that have strong poetry & philosophy sections, I know that these topics are not at the top of some folks interests, but the magic of going into a section of the bookstore you generally don‘t go to & finding something that shocks your mind awake with wonder is one of the best experiences you can have.

Trashcanman He's was such a gifted writer, philosopher and creative mind. I agree with you completely. I've read the stranger and this but many years ago. When I was actually happy, or normal or whatever we call normativity human stasis. 😊 6y
Trashcanman In fact I have many people, family and a few friends who ask why I "do that to myself." why do I read books like these, basically what am I thinking. I guess I should read Mad Magazine or some shit. Lol. 6y
Alfoster @Trashcanman Oh my! Haven‘t thought about Mad Magazine for years!😂 But I agree about getting out of our comfort genres. I‘m just not very good at doing it!🤪 6y
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Leftcoastzen @Trashcanman well ,sometimes a little bit of Mad magazine is alright too!The power of books filled with ideas both happy or sad ,they are cathartic because even when surrounded by friends and family that are supportive,sometimes a writer just nails it!A feeling you have and struggled to express :then at least you can say I‘m not alone, someone else experiences this.Powerful. 6y
Trashcanman @Leftcoastzen well said, and correct in my opinion. My base line is living in misery. A happy book won't change that. If I'm interested I'll read anything. It needs to come from a place a genuine interest, if I can be sincere to myself then its time to check out. 6y
Leftcoastzen @Trashcanman It is heartbreaking that your base line is living in misery.I hope there is something to be done to turn that around.I enjoy your Litsy posts and appreciate your opinions.I , like you , need to be interested in the topic/ genre ,not good at faking my way through.I‘m trying to be more open to lighter fare reading wise,because I think there might be some fun things I‘ve missed over the years. 6y
batsy Preach! I stumbled upon The Myth of Sisyphus as an undergrad and it was eye-opening. I need to revisit it at some point. 6y
Leftcoastzen @batsy I need a re-read too.wake up some of those dead brain cylinders !😀 6y
42 likes8 comments
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Faibka
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“Thus the absurd man realizes that he was not really free. To speak clearly, to the extent to which I hope, to which I worry about a truth that might be individual to me, about a way of being or creating, to the extent to which I arrange my life and prove thereby that I accept its having a meaning, I create for myself barriers between which I confine my life.”

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Faibka
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Faibka
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“This very heart which is mine will forever remain undefinable to me. Between the certainty I have of my existence and the content I try to give to that assurance, the gap will never be filled. Forever I shall be a stranger to myself.”

All I can say is that Banana peanut butter ice cream is the perfect pairing for this book.

erzascarletbookgasm Sorry, I don‘t care for the ice cream flavour, my eyes gravitate towards the lovely bookmark 😁 6y
Faibka @erzascarletbookgasm lol, totally understandable! I got it at Etsy, the seller‘s designs are truly gorgeous. Here‘s the link if you‘re interested :) https://etsy.me/1lxU0tr 6y
Desha Beautiful Faibka! The picture of relaxation 👍🏼😍 6y
Faibka @Desha thanks! 😊 I just love reading in the afternoon light 6y
32 likes4 comments
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Faibka
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“Without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle. This is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future.”

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Faibka
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Faibka
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“The fundamental subject of The Myth of Sisyphus is this: it is legitimate and necessary to wonder wether life has a meaning; therefore it is legitimate to meet the problem of suicide face to face... Although The Myth of Sisyphus poses mortal problems, it sums itself up for me as a lucid invitation to live and create, in the very midst of the desert”

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MLRio

In truth the way matters very little. The will to arrive suffices.

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MLRio
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review
MLRio
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Pickpick

Dense as hell but worth the effort. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Simone_Gibson
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For there is merely bad luck in not being loved; there is misfortune in not loving. All of us, today, are longing for this misfortune. For violence and hate to dry up the heart itself; the long fight for justice exhausts the love that nevertheless gave birth to it. In the clamor in which we live, Love is impossible and justice does not suffice.

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Ross
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“A world that can be explained even with bad reasons is a familiar world. But, on the other hand, in a universe suddenly divested of illusions and lights, man feels an alien, a stranger. His exile is without remedy since he is deprived of the memory of a lost home or the hope of a promised land.”

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Alurayne

"It is true that those princes are without a kingdom. But they have this advantage: they know that all royalties are illusion."

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JoeStalksBeck
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Booo! Last day of #novemberbythenumbers I really loved this challenge! Thanks to everyone who participated! All of the posts were so fun and creative! #30 . 🔺 In 'The Myth of Sisyphus' Albert Camus comments that the age of 3️⃣0️⃣ is a crucial period in the life of a man, for at that age he gains a new awareness of the meaning of time.

tournevis I read parts of this in High school. Wow. 7y
JoeStalksBeck @tournevis lol! I love this book! 7y
tournevis @JoeStalksBeck I in fact don't remember what I read earlier n this collection and in other of his essais and assorted reportages of his. 7y
JoeStalksBeck @tournevis it‘s been a while since I read it but I do remember that the whole point of the book was to imagine Sisyphus happy. In other words , accept your fate. Accept you‘re life , your destiny, your journey. Don‘t fight it. Embrace it. Camus‘ argument against suicide in an absurd life 7y
tournevis @JoeStalksBeck Yep, yup, I remember. *nods* 7y
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Krisjericho
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Camus is a more recent reading discovery for me. I was missing out. #quotsy #quotsynov17 #absurdity

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JessNevertheless
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I‘m not much of an essay person but I do remember reading this back in high school and enjoying it. For some reason I really do like Camus and other absurdist works. #essays #noteworthynovember

batsy I liked this a lot, too. It probably needs a revisit, I read it during college 😬 7y
JessNevertheless @batsy I completely agree, I should also give this another re-read 7y
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smccallum
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Finally on a third attempt approaching the end of the title essay, this copy is now littered with underlinings and I will definitely be going back to try and glean more detail from Camus's essay because so much of it is so fascinating and thought-provoking!

manifestsanity One must imagine Sisyphus happy. Long live the absurd hero! 7y
43 likes1 comment
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smccallum
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Finally getting stuck into #nonfictionnovember

Sue Nice! 7y
PeruvianBookWorm #nonfictionnovember! I am reading a book about jewish children in France trying to escape the German Nazi ☹️ 7y
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Christinak
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I was looking for #shadesofautumn on my shelves and saw this group of weathered paperbacks that made me think of fall leaves. #fallintobooks

britt_brooke So pretty! 7y
quirkyreader Airmont books take a licking and keep on ticking. 7y
tpixie Well lived and loved! 7y
See All 6 Comments
RealLifeReading That's perfect! 7y
merelybookish Perfect! 7y
youneverarrived Lovely! 7y
60 likes6 comments
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smccallum
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Used book haul!

JazzFeathers I have a newer edition of Vile Bodies, but yours is better 😊 7y
58 likes1 comment
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Christinak
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41 likes1 stack add
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GoneFishing

Man is always prey to his truths. Once he has admitted them, he cannot free himself from them.

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Joshsandaker
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This is the only quote I've heard that's solaced me post-election. I'm going to need a lot of great art these next four years...or eight.

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mauveandrosysky
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Happy Birthday to Albert Camus, one of my all-time favorite philosophers.

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outofprint
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Happy Birthday, Albert Camus, born on this day, Nov 7, in 1913. #OOPquote

callie I love him! 8y
Jamiedemo I loved The Plague. & thanks to this post, I ordered a copy of these essays on his birthday! 💗 8y
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midhuns

All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning. Great works are often born on a street-corner or in a restaurant‘s revolving door.

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Dre_Boyke
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"This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night filled mountain, in itself forms a world. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy."

Riveted_Reader_Melissa That's excellent! It is in the doing, the struggle, that we actually live, grow, and thrive. 8y
Desha Love is not words, but action. The same is true of life, even when we are suffering. 8y
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anushareflects
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This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night-filled mountain, in itself forms a world. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.

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