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38th out of 45 books
—
34 voters
Resistance, Rebellion and Death: Essays
In the speech he gave upon accepting the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957, Albert Camus said that a writer "cannot serve today those who make history; he must serve those who are subject to it." And in these twenty-three political essays, he demonstrates his commitment to history's victims, from the fallen maquis of the French Resistance to the casualties of the Cold War...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
August 29th 1995
by Vintage
(first published 1960)
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Jan 14, 2010
Sabiq Carebesth
added it
“Memasukkan karya ke dalam zamannya”
Oleh : Sabiq Carebesth
Sejak kapan seorang di sebut sebagai seniman? Tentu saja setiap orang (dan setiap seniman) boleh turut menjawab sesuai dengan kadar horizon pengalamannya atas realitas diri dan realitas kehidupan. Demikian karenanya tulisan ini tidak berpretensi untuk memberikan jawaban baku atas pertanyaan itu. Toh memang tidak akan bisa—inspirasi—yang menjiwai kesenian hendak di institusikan dalam kebakuan. Namun tuisan ini ingin menjadi sebagai wahana...more
"...But I merely wanted to express that anguish I feel every day when faced with the decrease of liberal energies, the prostituting of words, the slandered victims, the smug justification of oppression, the insane admiration of force. We see a multiplication of those minds of whom it has been said that they seemed to count an inclination towards slavery as an ingredient of virtue. We see the intelligence seeking justifications for its fear, and finding them readily, for every cowardice has its o...more
The essays that stand out in the collection are his later pieces, especially 'Reflections on the Guillotine' that is a strong and reasoned statement against capital punishment. The last two pieces about the role of the artist are also interesting. What makes this book a little difficult (I don't want to say tiresome, because the themes are serious and he is not a bad writer) is that it is collection of disparate pieces. Some are editorials written in anonymity during World War II, laced with the...more
The sheer positivity of the writing is infectious. It is full of brilliant insight into totalitarianism and how it can, indeed must, be resisted. I was particularly impressed by his argument against capital punishment, especially the interesting observation that over the course of the 20th century a person is just as, if not more, likely to be killed by the State than another individual; it is therefore important to protect the liberty of everyone by reducing the role of the State as omniscient,...more
Nov 16, 2008
B-MO
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Modern Socialists
Shelves:
culture-and-politics,
partly-read
First off, I love Camus complete destruction of Nihilism in this collection of essays.
So, this collection of essays considered important to the author which he felt should be bound, a few months before his unexpected death, is a treasure of sorts to the modern age. The author deals with contemporary issues (for Americans), such as an Islamic terrorism attacking a imperial culture on their soil. Also dealt with is the topic of art, what art is, and the Camus thoughts on the politicization of art....more
So, this collection of essays considered important to the author which he felt should be bound, a few months before his unexpected death, is a treasure of sorts to the modern age. The author deals with contemporary issues (for Americans), such as an Islamic terrorism attacking a imperial culture on their soil. Also dealt with is the topic of art, what art is, and the Camus thoughts on the politicization of art....more
Camus chose twenty-three essays to comprise this collection a year before his death. Camus is a powerful writer and has a rousing crowd-pleasing style ("The doves of peace do not perch on gallows") suited to editorials, a style that must have been honed during his days as a writer in the French Resistance.
"The society of money and exploitation has never been charged, so far as I know, with assuring the triumph of freedom and justice. Police states have never been suspected of opening schools of...more
"The society of money and exploitation has never been charged, so far as I know, with assuring the triumph of freedom and justice. Police states have never been suspected of opening schools of...more
It is particularly refreshing to read this collection during a tumultuous election season and realizing the concepts of justice, freedom and intellect Camus communicates within these pages are at times more pertinant today than they were during and following World War II. While his literary works will always be the draw to Camus, his philosophical and theory works such as The Rebel and this collection of speeches and works will always be my favorites as they display his conviction and passion wi...more
Check this one out. One of his lectures, "Create Dangerously" has one of the most fascinating and unnervingly convincing arguments regarding the role of art I've come across. Really has no right to be as effective as it is... naivete and all, his piercing historical eye, ever conflicted with his will away from nihilism -- no matter the cost -- at the very least provides an unwitting and inadvertent biography... and perhaps, much more. Take it over Tolsyoy's "what is art" any day.
I find it incredibly depressing that certain books are out of print and somewhat difficult to find. This is one of them. This is one of those books whose relevance is not constrained to the time it was written in. Change the names of the countries and people and it could have been written for today. I genuinely believe everyone should read this who cares about the world around them and what's going on in it.
It also does a fantastic job of fleshing out much of Camus' philosophies that are covered...more
It also does a fantastic job of fleshing out much of Camus' philosophies that are covered...more
Jan 09, 2011
Erik Graff
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Camus fans
Recommended to Erik by:
no one
Shelves:
political-social-science
I read this while visiting Ed Erickson and other friends at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana while on Xmas break from Grinnell College--one of many visits to the U of I made possible by the fact that they were on a quarter system while we were on a semester one.
The biggest impression made by this book was in terms of Camus' treatment of the Algerian independence movement (the most prominent topic in this collection) which was nearing success at the time of this book's publication a...more
The biggest impression made by this book was in terms of Camus' treatment of the Algerian independence movement (the most prominent topic in this collection) which was nearing success at the time of this book's publication a...more
This is an excellent example of a moralistic voice in the time of nihilism and despair. Camus' political insight and moralistic voice continue to carry much weight in the face of today's seemingly impossible social obstacles. Very rewarding read. Optimistic-pessimism or is it pessimistic-optimism....
A compilation of essays by Albert Camus/
So far this book is difficult to put down. Camus is a passionate writer. Conviction and pride, characterize his writing while still leaving the heavens and the world at question. His love for his country is unparrelle. He makes a great distiniction between his country ( France) and the government.
The first essays are Letters to Germany. He articulates the letters as though he is writing to another person, not a movement of thought, nevertheless they are a...more
So far this book is difficult to put down. Camus is a passionate writer. Conviction and pride, characterize his writing while still leaving the heavens and the world at question. His love for his country is unparrelle. He makes a great distiniction between his country ( France) and the government.
The first essays are Letters to Germany. He articulates the letters as though he is writing to another person, not a movement of thought, nevertheless they are a...more
Mixed bag. A lot of the essays at the beginning of the book about the history of the conflict in Algeria were great. The essays towards the end of the book (especially those about art) tended to be unpleasantly pedantic and condescending.
This book gave me a unique perspective on America's upcoming War on Terror. Much of what the U.S. would inherit were problems originally sparked by British and French colonialism in Africa and the Middle East.
A tour de force. One man, both artist and philosopher, tackling the great dilemmas and ideas of his time, with thought that is clean, bristling with energy and timeless. A superb collection of essays concerning topics from the French Resistance in WWII, racism and strife in French-Arab Algeria, the death penalty and the philosophy of art.
After being disappointed by "The Stranger", this revealed a different (and more appealing) side of Camus. I hope to read more of his essays and learn more about his life and ideas.
Apr 25, 2011
Amy
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-wouldn-t-mind-owning
Fascinating book, easy to read, with several good points. I was particularly challenged over his essay about the death penalty, and while I disagreed with a lot, it was challenging. I definitely want to read more by Camus!
LOVED the essays on the French Resistance. His position against the death penalty is the most clear and concise I have ever heard.
Hard to argue with his genius.
Hard to argue with his genius.
May 28, 2008
Tamara
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Any Camus admirer
Recommended to Tamara by:
myself
This book cleanly wraps up Camus’ conscious mind. It is another collection of his essays about war, the death penalty and the job of an artist, written in his later years, before his death in 1960. Camus’ writings are full of his irreducible duality that he called absurdity, but this book seems to clean up the lines allowing him to step farther into his own heart. These essays are deeply compassionate.
I would also have to agree with Charles Moeller when he said of Camus, “Camus’ atheism is more...more
I would also have to agree with Charles Moeller when he said of Camus, “Camus’ atheism is more...more
Camus is very articulate and gets his point across very clearly. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his take on different views. The piece about the death penalty was my favorite.
pick up a shovel already, Al. the role of the socialist intellectual cant just be to talk s__t.
As relevant today as it was when the author composed these essays during the 1940's and the 50's
Very good, especially his writings on the death penalty and the French Resistance,
This was a delight to read for Camus' subtle and principled thinking. His rational humanism in the face of WWII aggression, post-WWII tyrants, and the death penalty and the problem of Algeria in his native France. The Franco-Algerian section of Resistance, Rebellion and Death makes an interesting comparison to today's USA's involvement in the Middle East.
Jan 03, 2011
Barbara Friend Ish
marked it as to-read
This is particularly on my TBR list for the essay "Create Dangerously".
Amazon 2009-02-18. Hadn't heard of this one -- thanks, Katherine!
better than his fiction
Amazing read.
This is the book you read after watching Army of Shadows. Do you want to prolong that mood? I don't know. However, this is the mood you are in and so this is the book to read.
You can pretty much guess how this book will be by the fact that it's Camus. The writing is excellent; the subject is complex, depressing, and difficult. Camus is always difficult, but he is worth it. The question is whether you can deal with him at that particular point in time.
You can pretty much guess how this book will be by the fact that it's Camus. The writing is excellent; the subject is complex, depressing, and difficult. Camus is always difficult, but he is worth it. The question is whether you can deal with him at that particular point in time.
I stole this collection from the singer of a somewhat popular band. He was asking me for advice. I saw this on his bookshelf, asked to borrow it, and promised I'd get back to him with some helpful insights when I returned it. I still have the book... He's still restlessly around... I hope he doesn't read this review. I mean, how can you ask a girl like me to part with something entitled "Resistance, Rebellion, and Death"?
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Albert Camus was an Algerian-born French author, philosopher, and journalist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957. He is often cited as a proponent of existentialism (the philosophy that he was associated with during his own lifetime), but Camus himself rejected this particular label. Specifically, his views contributed to the rise of the more current philosophy known as absurdis...more
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“I continue to believe that this world has no ultimate meaning. But I know that something in it has a meaning and that is man, because he is the only creature to insist on having one”
—
53 people liked it
“But in order to speak about all and to all, one has to speak of what all know and of the reality common to us all. The seas, rains, necessity, desire, the struggle against death--these are things that unite us all. We resemble one another in what we see together, in what we suffer together. Dreams change from individual, but the reality of the world is common to us all. Striving towards realism is therefore legitimate, for it is basically related to the artistic adventure.”
—
6 people liked it
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May 23, 2007 10:53am