Albert Camus

The Stranger by Albert Camus is a profound exploration of existentialism and the human condition, centring around the life of Meursault, an ordinary man living in Algiers. Meursault's life takes an unexpected turn when he becomes involved in a random act of violence on a sun-soaked Algerian beach, leading him into a spiral of events that force him to confront...

Create Dangerously by Albert Camus is a compelling and thought-provoking collection of essays that delve into the intricate relationship between art and society. Written with the precision and eloquence that only Camus can offer, this collection is a profound exploration of the artist's duty in a time of sociopolitical turmoil. The title essay, "Create Dangerously," lays bare the inherent risks...

In The Myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus delves deeply into the human condition, orienting his philosophical exploration around the timeless myth of Sisyphus, a man condemned by the gods to roll a boulder up a mountain only to watch it roll back down, endlessly repeating this futile task. Through this allegory, Camus examines the absurd nature of human existence, highlighting...

The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus explores one of the most profound philosophical questions: Is life worth living? Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the Second World War, Camus delves into the existential crisis faced by humanity, particularly the struggle to find meaning in a world devoid of higher purpose. Through a captivating blend of philosophical discourse and literary...

During the 1940s, a plague descends on the Algerian town of Oran. Like the German occupation of France in the Second World War, this plague too brings its terror while also inspiring a courageous resistance. But the plague is more than a parable. It is also a tale of natural calamity: a slaughter as absurd as the habits it supersedes....

The classic existentialist novel, in a wonderful new translation by Sandra Smith, now in paperback. Meursault leads an unremarkable bachelor life in Algiers until he commits a random act of violence. His lack of emotion and failure to show remorse only increase his guilt in the eyes of the law, and challenge the fundamental values of society—a set of rules...

The Outsider, Albert Camus' existentialist masterpiece, is now available in a wonderful new Clothbound Classics edition. In The Outsider, his classic existentialist novel, Camus explores the alienation of an individual who refuses to conform to social norms. Meursault, his anti-hero, will not lie. When his mother dies, he refuses to show his emotions simply to satisfy the expectations of others....

Introducing Little Clothbound Classics—irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas, and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. Jean-Baptiste Clamence—refined, handsome, forty, a former successful lawyer—is in turmoil. Over several drunken nights, he regales a chance acquaintance with his story. He talks of parties and his debauchery, of Parisian nights and the Aegean sea, and,...

In Albert Camus’s world-renowned fable of fear and courage, The Plague, the serene town of Oran on the Algerian coast is unexpectedly torn by the outbreak of a deadly disease. Panic spreads as death infiltrates their daily lives, forcing the townspeople into a harsh quarantine. The once bustling town descends into isolation and despair, as its inhabitants grapple with the...

One of the most influential works of philosophy ever written—a crucial exposition of existentialist thought, now available in a stand-alone edition. One of the most influential works of this century, The Myth of Sisyphus—featured here in a stand-alone edition—is a crucial exposition of existentialist thought. Influenced by works such as Don Juan and the novels of Kafka, these essays begin...

Based around a series of blistering confessions, The Fall was described by Sartre as 'perhaps the most beautiful and the least understood' of Camus' novels. Jean-Baptiste Clamence is a soul in turmoil. Over several drunken nights in an Amsterdam bar, he regales a chance acquaintance with his story. From this successful former lawyer and seemingly model citizen, a compelling, self-loathing...

First new translation since publication of Albert Camus's story collection. The stories of Exile and the Kingdom explore the dilemma of being an outsider—even in one's own country—and of allegiance. With intense power and lyricism, Camus evokes beautiful but harsh landscapes, whether the shimmering deserts of his native Algeria or the wild, mysterious jungles of Brazil. Here a Frenchwoman is...

In Speaking Out, Albert Camus, renowned for his profound influence on 20th-century literature, offers readers an evocative collection of his most illuminating speeches and lectures. This anthology captures the essence of Camus’ philosophical and moral standpoints, vividly portraying his enduring commitment to humanism, justice, and freedom. Through this definitive collection, readers are invited to journey through pivotal moments in Camus'...

An existential masterpiece from one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. In The Outsider, Camus explores the alienation of an individual who refuses to conform to social norms. Meursault, his anti-hero, will not lie. When his mother dies, he refuses to show his emotions simply to satisfy the expectations of others. And when he commits a random act...

The townspeople of Oran are in the grip of a deadly plague, which condemns its victims to a horrifying death. Fear, isolation, and claustrophobia follow as they are forced into quarantine, each responding in their own way to the lethal bacillus – some resign themselves to fate, some seek blame, and a few, like Dr Rieux, resist the terror. An...

The First Man offers an incredibly moving account of Camus' poverty-stricken childhood in Algeria, the love of his silent mother, and the remarkable figure of an old schoolteacher who saved him from ignorance. Camus was working on a manuscript version of the book when he was killed in a car accident with his publisher Michel Gallimard. The First Man was...

A collection that includes three of Camus's most personal and lyrical books- The Right Side and the Wrong Side, Nuptials, and Summer. This volume contains some of Camus' most intimate writing, as he reflects on his identity and childhood in Algeria and celebrates the beauty of the Mediterranean. The Wrong Side and the Right Side, Camus' first book and most...

A collection that includes some of Camus' most brilliant political writing. This volume contains some of Camus' most powerful political writing as he reflects on moral responsibility and the role of the artist in the world. Letters to a German Friend was Camus' first wartime intervention, written in 1943 in order 'to make our battle more effective'. Reflections on the...

New translation by Robin Buss Jean-Baptiste Clamence is a soul in turmoil. Over several drunken nights, he regales a chance acquaintance with his story. From this successful former lawyer and seemingly model citizen, a compelling, self-loathing catalogue of guilt, hypocrisy, and alienation pours forth. The Fall (1956) is a brilliant portrayal of a man who has glimpsed the hollowness of...

Reflections on the Guillotine, a profound essay by philosopher and writer Albert Camus, delves into the heart of the moral and ethical implications of the death penalty. The narrative confronts the brutal reality of execution in a deeply personal and philosophical exploration, revealing the psychological torment faced by both the condemned and those who administer capital punishment. Through detailed arguments...

Sartre paid tribute to him in his obituary notice: 'Camus could never cease to be one of the principal forces in our cultural domain, nor to represent, in his own way, the history of France and of this century.' The Rebel is described as 'one of the great humanist manifestos' by The Times and earned Albert Camus the Nobel Prize...

90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin Books Best known for his existentialist novel The Outsider, set in French-occupied Algeria, Albert Camus was profoundly influenced by the landscapes, towns and traditions of his youth. Selected here are some of his finest personal essays about Algeria and its environs, including the luminous 'Nuptials at Tipasa', one of his earliest works...

Albert Camus's lively journals from his eventful visits to the United States and South America in the 1940s, available again in a new translation. In March 1946, the young Albert Camus crossed from Le Havre to New York. Though he was virtually unknown to American audiences at the time, all that was about to change—The Stranger, his first book translated...

Albert Camus’s lively journals from his eventful visits to the United States and South America in the 1940s are available again in a new translation. In March 1946, the young Albert Camus crossed from Le Havre to New York. Though he was virtually unknown to American audiences at the time, all that was about to change—The Stranger, his first book...

"The Greeks never said that the limit could not be overstepped. They said it existed and that whoever dared to exceed it was mercilessly struck down. Nothing in present history can contradict them." Written in the aftermath of the Second World War, Albert Camus's essay is a searching inquiry into the origins of the hubris and fanaticism that laid waste...

The first complete translation of Albert Camus's personal notebooks written between 1933 and 1959, including new material never before published in English. Throughout his career, French writer and philosopher Albert Camus kept a series of notebooks that offers an unrivalled glimpse into the writer at his most personal and reflective. These notebooks contain his thoughts on politics, solitude, personal failings...

Through the story of an ordinary man unwittingly drawn into a senseless murder on an Algerian beach, Camus explored what he termed "the nakedness of man faced with the absurd." First published in English in 1946, now in a new translation by Matthew Ward. The Stranger is the enigmatic first novel by Albert Camus, published in French as L'Étranger in...

A bestseller in France, this is the first English translation of Albert Camus and Maria Casarès' fascinating, impassioned letters. You and I met and fell in love passionately, impatiently, dangerously. I regret nothing and I feel that these last days I've lived are enough to justify a life. - Albert Camus to Maria Casarès, 1st July 1944 Their affair began...

The exquisite manga adaptation of one of the world's greatest 20th-century fiction classics. The Outsider begins with the famous line: "My mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don't know." A stranger to society, a stranger to his own life, Meursault seems indifferent to everything. In The Outsider, Camus explores the alienation of an individual who refuses to conform to...

The day his mother dies, Meursault notices that it is very hot on the bus that is taking him from Algiers to the retirement home where his mother lived; so hot that he falls asleep. Later, while waiting for the wake to begin, the harsh electric lights in the room make him extremely uncomfortable, so he gratefully accepts the coffee...

An exciting new cover design brings this essential existential classic into the twenty-first century. The Outsider follows Meursault, who leads an unremarkable, bachelor life in Algiers. However, his sudden involvement in a violent confrontation throws him into turmoil, forcing him to question the fundamental values of society. Camus creates a world without a God but presents a society still subject...

Is it possible to die a happy death? This is the central question of Camus's astonishing early novel, published posthumously and greeted as a major literary event. It tells the story of a young Algerian, Mersault, who defies society's rules by committing a murder and escaping punishment, then experimenting with different ways of life and finally dying a happy man....