Saturday, July 23, 2011

Do You Camus?

"Readers and critics alike are often quick to find some label by means of which they can characterize or summarize an original writer and thereby render him less disturbing." ~ John Cruickshank, on Albert Camus and the literature of Revolt, OUP (1959)

I don't know him well yet, but I've fallen in love with Albert Camus.

On Thursday, my new beau and I discovered a Used and Rare book store just off the square in Carrollton, GA. I'm not sure who was more tickled, me or le beau. We browsed the shelves, read cool posters and had fun with a myriad of unusual finds. Then we came across a basket of buttons, each with a quote and picture of a famous author. Of course I had to read them all.

The quote on the one that snagged me and had me shelling over four bucks to the owner?

"With rebellion, awareness is born." ~ Albert Camus

See? I find that as deep and as hard-hitting as an avalanch. And so flippin' true. Apropos for my blog? Uh-huh. I bought the button, brought it home and for the past couple of days, I've gazed at the picture of this man with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, looking all Bogeyish, and wondered who, other than a philosophical genius, is this writer?


Today I got a chance to google. And Oh. My. God.

You know that quote, "Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend"? Yep. Albert Camus. Or the one, "In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer." Him again.

Author and playwright for Caligula? Albert Camus.

But there is so much more.

I found interpretations of his books on the Albert Camus Society of the UK website and am determined to get my hands on those books. If you click over to the website, notice the quotes in the upper left-hand corner. Those teasers prompted me to google and click over to BrainyQuotes.com where I found a plethora of common sense, kick-ass quotes by none other than Albert Camus. Pages and pages of them!

I encourage you to click over and check them out. Maybe you'll fall in love with this forward thinker from way-back, too.

OH! And by the way, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957. Guess this is my week for being influenced by Nobel Prize winners. In lit. Hmmm. Portent? Or at least a new pretty to contemplate. Imagine this announcement: "The Nobel Prize in Literature 2020 was awarded to Olivia J. Herrell for her important literary production, which with clear-sighted earnestness illuminates the problems of the human conscience in our times".

Yeah. A new pretty to agonize.

Happy Saturday, Olivia J. Herrell

8 comments:

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

I have not heard of this author, but will look out for him.

Enjoyed the post.
Enjoy your Sunday.

Yvonne.

Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré said...

Thanks, Yvonne, you too!

Elliot Grace said...

...I fancy the discovery of a new/old indie book store right up there with stumbling over a gold nugget in the back yard. Priceless opportunities ;)

Enjoy your weekend, Olivia!

EL

Theresa Milstein said...

I read one book by him. Was it The Plague? I love the quotes you shared.

Jules said...

Just stopping by to say I'm alive and now definitely know you are. I knew the quotes but didn't know who by. Have a great week. :)
Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow

Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré said...

El, I know, huh! I also bought a banned book just to feel really decadent. Seven bucks well spent. You'll no doubt be hearing about it once I dive in.

Theresa, yes, that is one of his. What did you think?

Jules, Yay! It's good to know we're both still kicking. I'll be by soon to say hi.

~ Olivia

Yvonne Osborne said...

The first adult book I read was The Plague by Albert Camus. My older sister gave it to me when I was fifteen and it changed my reading habits forever. Thanks for this wonderful post and those quotes, some of which I didn't realize were from Camus.

This I'm saving and putting everywhere:

"With rebellion, awareness is born." ~ Albert Camus

Eric W. Trant said...

We hear about so few of the old-great authors, and yet quote them all the time.

Hard to believe they wrote all that by hand, or with an old typewriter, long-hand, long-windedly, one careful word and one careful page at a time.


- Eric

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