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Albert Camus and the Human Crisis
A renowned scholar investigates the "human crisis” that Albert Camus confronted in his world and in ours, producing a brilliant study of Camus’s life and influence for those readers who, in Camus's words, “cannot live without dialogue and friendship.”As France—and all of the world—was emerging from the depths of World War II, Camus summed up what he saw as "the human crisis”: We gasp for air among people who believe they are absolutely right, whether it be in their machines or their ideas. And for all who cannot live without dialogue and the friendship of other human beings, this silence is the end of the world. In the years after he wrote these words, until his death fourteen years later, Camus labored to address this crisis, arguing for dialogue, understanding, clarity, and truth. When he sailed to New York, in March 1946—for his first and only visit to the United States—he found an ebullient nation celebrating victory. Camus warned against the common postwar complacency that took false comfort in the fact that Hitler was dead and the Third Reich had fallen. Yes, the serpentine beast was dead, but “we know perfectly well,” he argued, “that the venom is not gone, that each of us carries it in our own hearts.” All around him in the postwar world, Camus saw disheartening evidence of a global community revealing a heightened indifference to a number of societal ills. It is the same indifference to human suffering that we see all around, and within ourselves, today. Camus’s voice speaks like few others to the heart of an affliction that infects our country and our world, a world divided against itself. His generation called him “the conscience of Europe.” That same voice speaks to us and our world today with a moral integrity and eloquence so sorely lacking in the public arena. Few authors, sixty years after their deaths, have more avid readers, across more continents, than Albert Camus. Camus has never been a trend, a fad, or just a good read. He was always and still is a companion, a guide, a challenge, and a light in darkened times. This keenly insightful story of an intellectual is an ideal volume for those readers who are first discovering Camus, as well as a penetrating exploration of the author for all those who imagine they have already plumbed Camus’ depths—a supremely timely book on an author whose time has come once again.
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 2, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 20, 2025
‘From zero point to a sanctity without God’
This is an illuminating book for anyone with more than a passing interest or admiration for Camus. It was especially interesting to learn in more detail how the scope and line of approach that the major influences, (the Ancient Greek philosophers and ‘the other Algerian’ St. Augustine), fired his relentless enquiry into what it is to be human, and his almost mystical agnosticism in parsing the essence and array of nuances residing in what might be understood as human nature and its possible sacred dimension.
Meagher presents a trajectory of three cycles of classical myth explored in Camus’ work: the myth of Sisyphus, in the famous essay of that name, Caligula and The Stranger being in a sense an investigation into ‘pre-moral’ man, the myth of Prometheus being an investigation of communal, fraternal and civically responsible man developed in The Plague and The Rebel, and finally the projected work of the myth of Nemesis, the ‘post-moral’ man of which The Fall is the most complete fictional legacy. In doing so, with secondary sources including conversations with close friends of Camus as well as quotes and extracts from his notebooks, a clear framework of his creative themes is lucidly analysed and evidenced.
Camus’ influences and inclinations led him to scrutinise specific domains of thought and action throughout his life, of which key recurrent ones include the sacredness of sense experience, beauty, evil, mortality, family, friendship, religious allusion/transcendence in relation to human dignity and potential, political philosophy, pacifism, meaning in an indifferent universe and here where he overlapped (and mostly did not) with Existentialism, as well pursuing facets of moral problems - to provide one example: the reconciling of the apparently opposed principles of absolute freedom and absolute justice.
The book also covers his gradual withdrawal from public life and political activity to focusing directly on theories of ethics which are clarified as being in line with the core values and areas of enquiry dear to him and for which he never claimed to have answers but ‘lived with more doubts and questions than he did with certainties or solutions. He craved dialogue and trusted it more than pronouncements, whether by him or by others.’
It certainly deepened my appreciation of him and the book gives useful directions in reading into what he wrote and the meaningfulness he sought to open.
As Meagher writes, ‘Few world authors have been more widely read, personally loved, and yet thoroughly misunderstood than Camus.’
This is an illuminating book for anyone with more than a passing interest or admiration for Camus. It was especially interesting to learn in more detail how the scope and line of approach that the major influences, (the Ancient Greek philosophers and ‘the other Algerian’ St. Augustine), fired his relentless enquiry into what it is to be human, and his almost mystical agnosticism in parsing the essence and array of nuances residing in what might be understood as human nature and its possible sacred dimension.
Meagher presents a trajectory of three cycles of classical myth explored in Camus’ work: the myth of Sisyphus, in the famous essay of that name, Caligula and The Stranger being in a sense an investigation into ‘pre-moral’ man, the myth of Prometheus being an investigation of communal, fraternal and civically responsible man developed in The Plague and The Rebel, and finally the projected work of the myth of Nemesis, the ‘post-moral’ man of which The Fall is the most complete fictional legacy. In doing so, with secondary sources including conversations with close friends of Camus as well as quotes and extracts from his notebooks, a clear framework of his creative themes is lucidly analysed and evidenced.
Camus’ influences and inclinations led him to scrutinise specific domains of thought and action throughout his life, of which key recurrent ones include the sacredness of sense experience, beauty, evil, mortality, family, friendship, religious allusion/transcendence in relation to human dignity and potential, political philosophy, pacifism, meaning in an indifferent universe and here where he overlapped (and mostly did not) with Existentialism, as well pursuing facets of moral problems - to provide one example: the reconciling of the apparently opposed principles of absolute freedom and absolute justice.
The book also covers his gradual withdrawal from public life and political activity to focusing directly on theories of ethics which are clarified as being in line with the core values and areas of enquiry dear to him and for which he never claimed to have answers but ‘lived with more doubts and questions than he did with certainties or solutions. He craved dialogue and trusted it more than pronouncements, whether by him or by others.’
It certainly deepened my appreciation of him and the book gives useful directions in reading into what he wrote and the meaningfulness he sought to open.
As Meagher writes, ‘Few world authors have been more widely read, personally loved, and yet thoroughly misunderstood than Camus.’
August 14, 2021
Albert Camus is one of my favorite literary figures of all time. I favor authors rooted in the Christian and classical literary traditions, and Camus fits this description well – even though he made no profession of faith after childhood. (Another fascinating and controversial book by Howard Mumma contends that Camus sought baptism just before his sudden death.) To me, Camus’ words capture the human condition very well. This biography, born out of college classes Meagher taught, attempts to distill Camus’ tragically short life into an accessible volume.
A few points stand out about Camus’ interesting life and can orient the reader to understand him. He was born to a life of poverty in Algeria. The two great Algerian thinkers in history – Camus and St. Augustine – resemble each other in their style of thought. After receiving an excellent classical education, Camus became a journalist who anonymously wrote in the French Resistance to Nazi German occupation. He wrote great works of literature at a relatively young age, in his twenties. He wrote both philosophy and fictional stories. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957. He died in his late forties in 1960 due to a car wreck.
Camus’ perspective on life is interesting to me because he is kind of a secular St. Augustine, one of my favorite theologians. Without becoming deliberately theistic, he portrays a similar worldview. Both authors had a classical education. Camus even wrote a thesis on St. Augustine. Camus showed a similar intestinal fortitude in being willing to argue courageously for truth, despite adversity. Both believed in a realistic view of human nature – that it is real, and they used similar metaphors to describe it as “fallen.”
Obviously, literary scholars will find much to celebrate in this book’s analysis of Camus’ writings. Though a fan of the Algerian wordsmith, I am not qualified to give any critique of Meagher’s literary criticism. I wish there were more biography (i.e., personal history) interspersed within Meagher’s analysis. Meagher particularly attempts to tie Camus’ characters to the Christian and classical literary traditions at a deeper level than I had read before.
I hope a general audience will also receive this book with warmth. Like Meagher, I find Camus still very relevant to life and “the human crisis” in 2021. His metaphors, adapted from other traditions, seem to repeat themselves today. Understanding Camus’ broader outlook, shared in this book, is central to understanding these metaphors. While no substitute for a careful reading of Camus’ works, this book provides an accessible commentary that the reading public might digest. Those interested in the Greco-Roman classics or in the Christian tradition might find some words in Camus’ well-attested eloquence to help them communicate the value of these traditions to the wider world.
A few points stand out about Camus’ interesting life and can orient the reader to understand him. He was born to a life of poverty in Algeria. The two great Algerian thinkers in history – Camus and St. Augustine – resemble each other in their style of thought. After receiving an excellent classical education, Camus became a journalist who anonymously wrote in the French Resistance to Nazi German occupation. He wrote great works of literature at a relatively young age, in his twenties. He wrote both philosophy and fictional stories. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957. He died in his late forties in 1960 due to a car wreck.
Camus’ perspective on life is interesting to me because he is kind of a secular St. Augustine, one of my favorite theologians. Without becoming deliberately theistic, he portrays a similar worldview. Both authors had a classical education. Camus even wrote a thesis on St. Augustine. Camus showed a similar intestinal fortitude in being willing to argue courageously for truth, despite adversity. Both believed in a realistic view of human nature – that it is real, and they used similar metaphors to describe it as “fallen.”
Obviously, literary scholars will find much to celebrate in this book’s analysis of Camus’ writings. Though a fan of the Algerian wordsmith, I am not qualified to give any critique of Meagher’s literary criticism. I wish there were more biography (i.e., personal history) interspersed within Meagher’s analysis. Meagher particularly attempts to tie Camus’ characters to the Christian and classical literary traditions at a deeper level than I had read before.
I hope a general audience will also receive this book with warmth. Like Meagher, I find Camus still very relevant to life and “the human crisis” in 2021. His metaphors, adapted from other traditions, seem to repeat themselves today. Understanding Camus’ broader outlook, shared in this book, is central to understanding these metaphors. While no substitute for a careful reading of Camus’ works, this book provides an accessible commentary that the reading public might digest. Those interested in the Greco-Roman classics or in the Christian tradition might find some words in Camus’ well-attested eloquence to help them communicate the value of these traditions to the wider world.
November 12, 2023
Before, i had already read "The Stranger" and "The Myth of Sisyphus" and they changed my perspective on how I see life. But, I wanted to have a brief explanation of his work in this book, so i decided to read it. Reading through this book feels like a journey into his life's works and his personal life. The insights resonate profoundly across the human experience, even after his demise.
Through this book, i also learned that he came from humble beginnings but left an enduring mark on literature and philosophy. One thing i gathered about him is that he is more of a humanist than anything else. His worldview, when many philosophers and French intellectuals post WW2 thought of him as wishful thinking and utopian, i perceive it as more realistic. It's a pity that Sartre didn't follow the same idea because i also adore him. i also discovered that Camus also drew inspiration from great philosophers like St. Augustine, Nietzsche, and Dostoevsky.
Each chapter in this book is structured in an interesting way, not rushed, and describes his work journey well. The chapters effectively progress through his works from early stages to his demise. The language in this book isn't dry, it's engaging for me. For sure that i really want to read camus's works after reading this book.
Camus need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, he should be remembered simply as a good and decent man who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it, saw beauty and celebrated it.
Through this book, i also learned that he came from humble beginnings but left an enduring mark on literature and philosophy. One thing i gathered about him is that he is more of a humanist than anything else. His worldview, when many philosophers and French intellectuals post WW2 thought of him as wishful thinking and utopian, i perceive it as more realistic. It's a pity that Sartre didn't follow the same idea because i also adore him. i also discovered that Camus also drew inspiration from great philosophers like St. Augustine, Nietzsche, and Dostoevsky.
Each chapter in this book is structured in an interesting way, not rushed, and describes his work journey well. The chapters effectively progress through his works from early stages to his demise. The language in this book isn't dry, it's engaging for me. For sure that i really want to read camus's works after reading this book.
Camus need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, he should be remembered simply as a good and decent man who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it, saw beauty and celebrated it.
June 6, 2024
An important book for any serious student of Camus’ Philosophy.
I have been intrigued by the writings and Philosophy of Albert Camus for over sixty years. Meagher’s book taught me so much. It was written with a perfect combination of affection and admiration tempered by the honest assessment of Camus’ doubts, concerns, and weaknesses necessary for a work of Literary Criticism.
Even more importantly, this work highlights the importance of understanding the Classical Roots of Camus’ Philosophy and realizing that it runs much deeper than a superficial reading of The Stranger’s Existentialism would expect. His analysis of Sisyphus, The Plague, The Rebel, The Fall, Caligula, and Exile & The Kingdom forces the Reader to come to terms with the struggles Camus experienced in his efforts to conform his Beliefs with The Realities of his Life and The World he knew.
If you, like me, have chosen Camus as a guide for an attempt at living a Good and Meaningful Life, please take the time to read Meagher’s fine work. It will be Time well-spent. Five Stars. *****
I have been intrigued by the writings and Philosophy of Albert Camus for over sixty years. Meagher’s book taught me so much. It was written with a perfect combination of affection and admiration tempered by the honest assessment of Camus’ doubts, concerns, and weaknesses necessary for a work of Literary Criticism.
Even more importantly, this work highlights the importance of understanding the Classical Roots of Camus’ Philosophy and realizing that it runs much deeper than a superficial reading of The Stranger’s Existentialism would expect. His analysis of Sisyphus, The Plague, The Rebel, The Fall, Caligula, and Exile & The Kingdom forces the Reader to come to terms with the struggles Camus experienced in his efforts to conform his Beliefs with The Realities of his Life and The World he knew.
If you, like me, have chosen Camus as a guide for an attempt at living a Good and Meaningful Life, please take the time to read Meagher’s fine work. It will be Time well-spent. Five Stars. *****
February 22, 2023
I started feeling guilty as I read my way through this elucidating work by Robert Emmet Meagher because with each chapter I felt more and more as if I was reading Cliffsnotes about Camus’ oeuvre, and Cliffsnotes were always forbidden fruit where I came from. Seeing as Camus himself reminded me, through Meagher, that Christ was more about forgiveness than judgment, I read on to the end without fear of repercussion. Meagher does an excellent job explaining the evolution and almost contingent nature of Camus’ work from beginning to the untimely end.
The knock against Cliffsnotes has always been that students would scan their way through the Cliffsnotes rather than read the actual book. Well, Meagher’s pseudo-Cliffsnotes have me anxious to reread all of Camus’ actual books.
The knock against Cliffsnotes has always been that students would scan their way through the Cliffsnotes rather than read the actual book. Well, Meagher’s pseudo-Cliffsnotes have me anxious to reread all of Camus’ actual books.
December 3, 2023
I loved this introduction to Camus. Broad enough to provide a sense of the trajectory of Camus's thought, and deep enough the the individual works got significant attention. I've been wrestling with some of the issues that Camus thought about, in particular the problem of cruelty in the world, and I'm looking forward to reading more Camus--now with a better sense of how his writings fit together.
March 5, 2023
This is a book about some of the major works of Camus, and about certain aspects of his life and thought as it pertains to his relevance for our current times. There are two ways to approach this: first, as an admiration and celebration of Camus, and second, as a balanced and critical reflection. Both of these approaches have merit. Meagher takes the first approach, admiring Camus, and seeing him as a prophet of whom we should seek out in our time of great need. Camus has a never dying wisdom that illuminates our current trials and circumstances.
I will say, as a possible criticism, that Meagher says he wrote this book because we live in "dark times." Ample evidence has been produced by sociologists and anthropologists to demonstrate that this isn't really true; this constant refrain we hear echoed throughout our current day is short sighted and misguided. Things appear dark because social media highlights every problem, but in truth, we're living in one of the most stable, equal, and comfortable times in all of human history. Next to even 100 years ago, our contemporary times are a relative utopia. That doesn't mean we don't have problems, because we have many, but recent writers write as though we're regressing into darkness, and all evidence points against this.
That said, aside from Meagher's underlying motivation, this book is really excellent. As a fan of Camus, this book has motivated me to return soon to his most important works and visit them afresh. Meagher is a great, fluid writer, and he understands Camus well. This is a gem of a book for anyone interested in Camus' works and ideas.
I will say, as a possible criticism, that Meagher says he wrote this book because we live in "dark times." Ample evidence has been produced by sociologists and anthropologists to demonstrate that this isn't really true; this constant refrain we hear echoed throughout our current day is short sighted and misguided. Things appear dark because social media highlights every problem, but in truth, we're living in one of the most stable, equal, and comfortable times in all of human history. Next to even 100 years ago, our contemporary times are a relative utopia. That doesn't mean we don't have problems, because we have many, but recent writers write as though we're regressing into darkness, and all evidence points against this.
That said, aside from Meagher's underlying motivation, this book is really excellent. As a fan of Camus, this book has motivated me to return soon to his most important works and visit them afresh. Meagher is a great, fluid writer, and he understands Camus well. This is a gem of a book for anyone interested in Camus' works and ideas.
February 11, 2022
For someone like me, that has searched all there is on Albert Camus, so to find a better understanding of an amazing life that was cut short. I have to say, this is the best book I have read to date on his writings. Robert Meagher seems to have finally captured what most have missed. As many other others try to insert their own understanding, Robert Meagher lets the author speak for himself, through writings, interviews, Camus notebooks. There is so much on the web out of context about who this man was, that I found this a refreshing read. Above all, he was someone that had questions, never thinking he had all the answers. He loved dialogue and humanity above all. Like Camus life, you finish reading wanting more. Even Albert admitted he was just hitting his writting stride in his last few works and sadly we never saw the full evolution. As in all of our lives, we will never reach a final place to be satisfied, but we can smile for giving it a try.
August 7, 2025
This is a regular annual reread. Camus famously writes, through a series of essays, to a post-war world on the lasting effect that violence can have on the human heart. His commentary on global issues has become even better with age, and its relevance continues to prove itself today. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a thought provoking, new perspective on European history, and a timeless insight into what it means to live in the modern world.
December 23, 2021
This was an excellent tribute to one of my favorite writers of all time. It is largely an overview of his life’s work but I appreciate the insight this book provided and the desire to revisit some of my favorite works from him. Thank you to the publisher for providing me with this drc available through edelweiss.
September 12, 2024
Phenomenal insight into both Camus’ literary work analysis and his contagious thirst for political justice. Serving as an overall tribute to Camus and a thorough introduction to modern fans; my perspective of him and his words about the world has expanded. I now have Confessions on my reading list. Thank you Meagher and Camus for enlightening me.
July 26, 2023
he never failed to impress me.
November 14, 2025
Makes me sad that Camus was gone way to soon. So much to say but his voice still echoes in these strange times. If i have a some sort of idolatry for a person, that person is Camus
February 11, 2022
I read this because of Viggo Mortensen's reading of Albert Camus' "Human Crisis" speech in New York in 2016. I've never heard those truly amazing words before and the presentation was captivating. I also took the time to watch Viggo's rendition of Camus' The Guest in the form of Far from Men from 2015 - I enjoyed the movie more than the book. I'm a much bigger fan of Camus nowadays.
January 28, 2025
pick this during my crisis dilemma
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