Albert Camus

Albert Camus Books, Quotes, Biography, Novels
Albert Camus (1913–1960) was a French-Algerian philosopher, author, and journalist, known as one of the leading figures of existentialism and absurdism. His work explores themes of meaning, human freedom, and the absurd condition of life—our search for meaning in a universe that seems indifferent or meaningless.

Best Known Works
“The Stranger” (1942): A novel about Meursault, a man who becomes detached from societal norms, culminating in a crime and his exploration of existential truths.
“The Myth of Sisyphus” (1942): A philosophical essay where Camus argues that life is absurd but can still be embraced through rebellion and meaning-making.
“The Plague” (1947): An allegorical novel about a town besieged by a plague, exploring themes of collective suffering, resilience, and humanism.
“The Fall” (1956): A confessional novel in which a lawyer reflects on guilt, judgment, and self-deception.

Philosophy
Camus is often associated with existentialism but preferred to see himself as a thinker of absurdism. He believed life’s lack of inherent meaning creates a conflict for human beings seeking purpose. His response to this “absurd” condition was to embrace life fully, live authentically, and revolt against meaninglessness rather than succumb to despair.

Life and Legacy
Camus was born in Algeria, then a French colony, and much of his writing reflects his Mediterranean upbringing and tensions between European and African identities.
He was an active journalist and participated in the French Resistance during World War II.
In 1957, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature for illuminating “the problems of the human conscience in our time.”
Camus died tragically in a car accident in 1960 at age 46.