A Life Worth Living: Albert Camus and the Quest for Meaning

236 Pages·2013·0.95 MB·English

by  Robert Zaretsky

A L I F E W O R T H L I V I N G
A L I F E W O R T H L I V I N G
Albert Camus and the Quest for Meaning
r o b e r t z a r e t s k y
t h e b e l k n a p p r e s s o f
h a r v a r d u n i v e r s i t y p r e s s
Cambridge, Massachusetts, and London, Eng land
2013
Copyright © 2013 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College
a l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-i n-P ublication Data
Zaretsky, Robert, 1955–
A life worth living : Albert Camus and the quest for
meaning / Robert Zaretsky.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0 -6 74-7 2476-1 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Camus, Albert, 1913–1 960. 2. Conduct of life. I. Title.
B2430.C354Z37 2013
194—dc23
2013010473
C O N T E N T S
Prologue 1
1. Absurdity 11
2. Silence 59
3. Mea sure 92
4. Fidelity 117
5. Revolt 148
Epilogue 185
Notes 199
Ack nowl edgm ents 221
Index 223
A L I F E W O R T H L I V I N G
PROLOGUE
“Even my death will be contested. And yet what I desire
most today is a quiet death, which would bring peace to
1
those whom I love.”
Albert Camus’ prediction, written in the last dec ade of
his life, has been borne out, though perhaps not his hope.
Over the past several years, contests have simmered and
burst over the French Algerian writer’s legacy.
Shortly after becoming France’s president, Nicolas
Sarkozy made a state visit to Algeria. The visit garnered
more than the usual attention, in part because Sarkozy
had come to offi ce with a reputation as a bluntly spoken
conservative who saw no reason for France to apologize
for its role as a colonial power. One of the stops on his
itinerary was Tipasa, a mountainous town overlooking
the Mediterranean. Not only does Tipasa boast a stu-
pendous array of Roman ruins—t he graveyard of an ear-
lier colonial enterprise—b ut it is also a site to which