About this title: In this profound and moving philosophical statement, Camus poses the fundamental question: is life worth living? If human existence holds no significance, what can keep us from suicide? As Camus argues, if there is no God to give meaning to our lives, humans must take on that purpose themselves. This is our absurd task, like Sisyphus forever rolling his rock up a hill, as the inevitability of death constantly overshadows us. Written during the bleakest days of the Second World War, "The Myth of Sisyphus" argues for an acceptance of reality that encompasses revolt, passion and, above all, ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage Books
Date Published: 1961
Description: VG Used, Very Good in VG jacket. PAPERBACK, VG/VG, Vintage Books, 1961, 5.4 oz. This copy has visible but minimal creasing of the spine, appears to have been very lightly read, is in Excellent Condition Overall. Special Notes on this book: name neatly on front cover, underlining on preface page only Note: expect tanning of any paperback more than a few years old, regardless of condition. read more
Edition: Reprint
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books, Canada
Date Published: 1980
ISBN-13:9780140039351ISBN:014003935X
Description: Very Good + A real nice tight and square copy translated from French by Justin O'Brien that has several corner creases on the wrap. read more
Edition: First Penguin Paperback Edition
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books Limited, Harmondsworth, Middlesex, UK
Date Published: 1975
ISBN-13:9780140039351ISBN:014003935X
Description: Fine. 192 pages. A fine like new copy with only a hint of paper tanning. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Date Published: 1975
ISBN-13:9780140039351ISBN:014003935X
Description: 014003935X. READING COPY. Pages good but lightly tanned. Rene Magritte cover illustration. Ex-libris embossing to first facing page. Cover has creasing/marks/wear. Good useable copy. First class daily dispatch from Devon.; Modern Classics; 192 pages. read more
Description: cover art by Rene Magritte. Good-Very Good. 12mo. 192pp. Penguin Modern Classics edition of Camus's philosophical study of the human condition in the modern world; using the metaphor of Sisyphus pushing his boulder uphill every day, Camus questions why man, sensing the absurdity of existence, does not commit suicide-the answer being found in an acceptance of the human condition in terms of revolt, liberty, and passion; translated by Justin O'Brienthis copy lightly toned to text block and edges ... read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: PENGUIN BOOKS LTD Country = UNITED KINGDOM
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780141023991ISBN:0141023996
Description: BRAND NEW PAPERBACK. 144 pages. (144 pages) following the overwhelming success of great ideas' launch, with a million sold in the uk alone, penguin now publish a further 20 short, astonishing works of non-fiction drawn from the most remarkable writing of the past two and a half thousand years of human thinking. (Paperback) read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: PENGUIN BOOKS LTD Country = UNITED KINGDOM
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780141182001ISBN:0141182008
Description: BRAND NEW PAPERBACK. 208 pages. (208 pages) written during the bleakest days of the second world war, this volume argues for an acceptance of reality that encompasses revolt, passion and, above all, liberty. it also contains several other essays, including lyrical evocations of the sunlit cities of algiers and oran, and the settings of other novels, such as "the outsider" and "the plague". (Paperback) read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton, London
Date Published: 1961
Description: Good + in Good + jacket. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. 169 pp. Bound in blue boards sl. faded, endpapers browned, d/j worn, marked, small nicks, and price clipped. Some underlining in ink. Slight twist to book. Very good. read more
Edition: Reprint. 3rd printing.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, New York
Date Published: 1958
Description: Good in fair dust jacket. 1958 Knopf hard cover. 3rd printing. NOT EX LIB! Bright pages with notes & underlining mostly near front of book. Light overall tanning of pages. Mild edgewear. Dust jacket is worn & scuffed with tears along edges. Translated from the French by Justin O'Brien. read more
Edition: First American Edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, New York
Date Published: 1955
Description: Good in Good jacket. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. Stated First American Edition. Yellow boards, stamped cover art, black cloth spine wrap, gilt spine titles, moderate shelf wear. Deckled pages generally very good, no writing. Slight odor, nothing visible. Dj good, 1 1/2" chip at top. Jacket unclipped 3.5, protected in new, clear sleeve. Philosophical essay begins with the statement: "There is only one really serious philosophical question, and that is suicide. Deciding whether or not life is worth ... read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton Ltd
Date Published: 1955
ISBN-13:9780241904657ISBN:024190465X
Description: Acceptable. Ex library. Page colour-Slightly discoloured in accordance with book age. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Date Published: 22/02/1990
ISBN-13:9780140180169ISBN:0140180168
Description: Used-Good. Book in good or better condition. Dispatched same day from warehouse. Please email with any questions for quick response. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage Books
Date Published: 1961
Description: Acceptable. (Faded cover, but NO writing in the book) A readable copy. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact (the dust cover may be missing). Pages can include considerable notes--in pen or highlighter--but the notes cannot obscure the text. E-Mail Confirmation, We are a business dedicated to customer service. read more
"This was a required college read. Specifically, the Myth of Sisyphus is a commentary on life and I have to admit that I have thought about it constantly throughout my adult life as I add experience with aging and frustration. Much of this connection I get with the Myth is due to an almost unrealistic high expectation of myself and others. However, as I add up the grand total of what I am and what others have achieved who I have influenced, I think I can say that it's been worth the attitude. Still, pushing the boulder up the hill with tanacity and determination, is always bound toward a fight because the force of gravity is often stronger than I am. I can really relate to this frustration and I have far too often."
"I'm only giving this book three stars, because I found much of the main essay to be incoherent. Yet what I did understand resonated so much that if I'd read it in my early 20s or late teens, I would now call it one of the most influential books I've ever read. Since I read it just now, I can't say that it's influenced anything at all, though it may in the future. Camus' idea of the absurdist way of looking at the universe, as opposed to the religious or the nihilistic, captures how I see things much of the time.
But I think I liked the Wikipedia entry on The Myth of Sisyphus more than the book itself. The Wikipedia entry teases out Camus' ideas more clearly than Camus does. But I'd recommend reading both, because Camus does get into some interesting examples that you won't find in the Wikipedia entry, like the absurdism of actors.
I found the rest of the essays in the book not worth reading at all, another reason this is three and not four stars."
"This was a required college read. Specifically, the Myth of Sisyphus is a commentary on life and I have to admit that I have thought about it constantly throughout my adult life as I add experience with aging and frustration. Much of this connection I get with the Myth is due to an almost unrealistic high expectation of myself and others. However, as I add up the grand total of what I am and what others have achieved who I have influenced, I think I can say that it's been worth the attitude. Still, pushing the boulder up the hill with tanacity and determination, is always bound toward a fight because the force of gravity is often stronger than I am. I can really relate to this frustration and I have far too often."
"Classic for a reason. This book is a tonic for any agnostic or cynic struggling with the whole meaning-of-life thing. Camus, in a way that I find totally satisfying, solves that problem without the standard religious cop-out of locating meaning outside this world. What is wrong with being Sisyphus? Is this a punishment or is this just what life is if you take you head out of the bubble for long enough to see the truth of things. My essential vision of life I more or less cribbed from Camus and Sartre: it's an absurdist project that you can accept and live and love the living of it. What I appreciate about Camus in this series of essays is that he's more positive about the whole thing than Sartre, who is quite bleak."
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