Thanks for this. Anyone who says Camus is not a philosopher is not a philosopher. The sentence which resonated the most for me: "I have never been able to believe, deep inside, that human affairs are serious matters".
Sarah I mean I think Celis meant it has a similar ‘voice’, as conceptually the idea of a character talking at a character that is essentially the reader, though not a unique concept, was one that both books had in common. That’s one of only a few things they had in common though so i think I agree with both of you.
Beautiful book. I kept it my coat pocket for months on end, just to read the sentences while riding the subway. It is my favorite Camus book. Bravo on your review.
Sublime. Having just finished this book, it is now in the hands of another. Thanks for elucidating this gem to a wider audience Regards from Manchester, United Kingdom.
Like I how camus makes a interesting narrative device like the fall where the narrator is anonymous and is narrated like an impartial observer who just wants to state the facts , only using other characters views and duary entries .
I always had a secret desire to live being nobody... Sometimes I enjoy just being alone in tiny confide space ...so I can metaphorically feel safe that no one is aware about my existence... Normally I read books or watch movie (any normal activity that can be done in that small space) ... to say ..I am very normal person...I have a healthy happy life...But still thought of alone forgotten is beautiful .
Awesome review, and thanks for the video. I just got done reading this for the first time today. I made a connection, at least stylistically, between 'The Fall' and 'Notes from Underground'. In both, you have a highly intelligent, articulate, arrogant nihilist confessing in the first person the darkest depths of his soul, making excuses for his own inadequacies and then justifying them in a way that makes him feel superior for having done so. Both books also take that character in all of his reprehensible self loathing, and, like Jean-Baptiste describes at the end of this book, turn him on the reader and reflect it back like a mirror. They illustrate what might be considered a very poor assimilation of the Jungian shadow, the darkest parts of our psyche that hide away in the recesses or our mind, that we are too afraid to bring forward and deal with. Who hasn't at some point felt proud and powerful in their own exaggerated sense of victimization, as if they had the right to judge the entire world by virtue of their own imagined oppression and hyperbolic self pity? Who hasn't felt the sting of unfairness and incomprehensibility of a situation, or life in general; felt the bitter resentment rise up; and the subsequent urge to do everything possible to make the situation infinitely worse? Who hasn't suffered the agonizing, endless discomfort of the little-ease of life, where we with our individual sovereignty, freedom and free will stand in isolated opposition to everyone else, crushed under the weight of their judgement until we can neither stand, sit, or stretch and are left to die in darkness? Though over a century apart, I think these two books pair wonderfully and the 'The Fall' is immediately one of my new favorite books.
I read the fall at the age of 19, 34 years ago. Thanks for reminding me of it, and In consequence I can almost see how it influenced me. I was an art student back then. I found a man who had attempted suicide a while after that, but in contrast I phoned for help and he didn’t die, even so it haunted me for a while.
'No man is a hypocrite in his pleasures' was my high school yearbook quote. Glad I had that in my back pocket from reading this book in one week a few years before graduating. Recognized many people in this one narrator...
Such an intriguing book; It sparks a certain kind of strange hunger, and its sentences trail like the will-o'-the-wisps. You'll find what we had to say about it most fascinating.
We had an all-weekend celebration commemorating Lost Cross, (debatably) the oldest punk house in America over Labor Day weekend in my town. It was also a celebration of a local musician named Tim who was shot in his bedroom earlier this year, accidentally, by angry kids at a party next door. I can't think of a better way to nurse a three day hangover than going back to Camus, with pancakes.
I've read The Fall three times so far, and this review makes me want to read it again. By far, the best Camus has ever written... speaking of which, Camus employed this 2nd person narration in a short story called "The Renegade." It's a priest who had his tongue cut out by infidels that tells the story this time. Dostoevsky also used the 2nd person in his novella, "Notes from the Underground." Anyhow, thanks. I enjoyed the review.
I read The Fall 30 years ago (10 times). Due to vandalism by my children I lost the book. I am now coming out The Fall and into Winter, Then April (Spring) Is the cruelest month, breeding Lilacs from the dead Land. 😇
I would suggest we wouldn't be able to save her but we would have the courage to try, mainly because of how cold the water is and the speed of the current, that and it would be my first time having the capacity to trying to save anyone.
Heeeey Cliff. Great fuckin' review. Just had a birthday a couple days ago, and with Camus being one of the favorite authors, this helped make it an even better celebration. I tend to try and push Camus on friends and relatives, when they're looking at introspective work from someone whose ramblings I consider to be proof the crazy aren't so much. You've done a hell of a job summing that up here. Hope you had a great labor day weekend. I know I did.
To my knowledge it wasn't Camus last book. Not even the last one published ante mortem. His last book is The First Man, which is awesome until you reach the chapters that he didn't have the time to rewrite. But you gave me an idea of what to read next, mate.
Well, he kind of died with it on him unfinished, so not exactly his fault those chapters weren't awesome... Re-reading it at the moment, bc it had been a while
Not sure if you check comments on old videos but I thought I'd suggest a book to you that is somewhat similar in structure to this one. Wittgenstein's Mistress is a special little book that I think you'd highly enjoy.
Haven't read this one but your description of the narrative setup sounds similar to The Reluctant Fundamentalist, where you're just a passive listener to a narrator talking directly to you in a bar/cafe. Nice review! I didn't enjoy The Stranger but may give this a blast :)
Consider reading The Reluctant Fundamentalist if you'd like to read a similar narrative voice. However, you'll find yourself sipping tea in Karachi instead of drinking wine in Amsterdam ;)
"now I can remember! now I can remember!" The Classical, what a funky racket! You should review The Friends of Eddie Coyle one of MES's favourite novels.
I've been waiting from your first review (which was Cioran after I had read a couple of his books for the first time) for Bukowski and Camus. Recently read Notes of a dirty old man and was thinking about recommending it to you, but I figured that you'd read it already^^ Well, one recommendation I have for you that you might not have heard about or read already is: Osamu Dazai. His novels No longer human and The setting sun are very great; since you liked Mishima, I figured you might like this guy too, and the books are more or less "Watakushi shōsetsu" - same the style as Confessions of a Mask and at least as disturbing but also hilarious (in a disturbed kind of suicidal and nihilistic way... You catch my drift, I'm sure).
Whatcha think about reviewing Grendel? Lit bit of Gardener never hurt nobody. Plus I think he did something ballsy/perfect with the almost unreadable Beowulf.
Hmm... Some of Ligotti's short stories have done something vaguely similar to this, sometimes. Not as effectively, I suppose, but hey. Fuckin' Ligotti.
I want to point out to fascinating Riku Sayuj review on Goodreads. It is only about 500 words: www.goodreads.com/review/show/1074045075?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1 tl;dr In The Fall you see the anti-thesis that you should use as your anti-model, as the one point which gives meaning to your picture by not being painted. You root for him to fall and fall - to Fall as horribly and as deep into the abyss as possible. Because that is the only way to root for yourself. Because the more he falls, the more you can see of what consists the abyss, and the further away you get from it. His Fall will save you. Mon cher, he is your personal Christ. (Read the whole thing. It's good.)
great book and great review, kudos et viva, what to do if he we hear that splash?! ;-) ps how about something linking another great post punk band and another gem? 'shooting an arab' perhaps? :-)
Albert Camus stated that the point of philosophy is to resolve the issue as to whether one wants to live or to die. He was also a proponent of Absurdist philosophy.
Good review, but I would recommend to be a tad more concise - a bit too wordy at times, really causing certain points to really drag out. Good review, though.
This sounds right up my street. I loved 'The Stranger' and 'The Plague', but then read 'A Happy Death' a drag to read (not the subject but everything feels directionless after the murder), so I've been a little apprehensive picking up another Camus book, but I'm definitely giving this a go.
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Thanks for this. Anyone who says Camus is not a philosopher is not a philosopher.
The sentence which resonated the most for me: "I have never been able to believe, deep inside, that human affairs are serious matters".
Everyone is a philosopher
"If you want to be a philosopher, write novels." - Albert Camus
Plato said that 3000 years earlier and nietzsche quoted him on that.
I read this book when i was 17 and it taught me to always examine my own motives especially when i do something for someone else.
Im 17 and i just finished reading this
I think this book is kind of similar to Dostoievsky's Notes from underground. Camus obviously read it and became a big influence on him.
It's nothing like notes of the underground.
maybe/maybe not............
Sarah I mean I think Celis meant it has a similar ‘voice’, as conceptually the idea of a character talking at a character that is essentially the reader, though not a unique concept, was one that both books had in common. That’s one of only a few things they had in common though so i think I agree with both of you.
That’s what I thought
The influence of Poe also seems to be huge here.
Go check out all the extras for free on this new video platform.
www.maven.video/c/cliff-sargent
Beautiful book. I kept it my coat pocket for months on end, just to read the sentences while riding the subway. It is my favorite Camus book. Bravo on your review.
same. judge-penitent is a very relevant concept. Suprised it's not mentioned more.
When you read that passage... I wish I could hear a complete audiobook in that voice...
Keep up the good work!
Great review of a great book.
The thumbnail picture is exactly how I pictured Jean-Baptiste Clamence looks like in my mind. eerie.
Sublime. Having just finished this book, it is now in the hands of another. Thanks for elucidating this gem to a wider audience
Regards from Manchester, United Kingdom.
Home of some great post punk bands - glad to hear from ya. Hope all's well over there, thanks for the support.
FINALLY! a book I HAVE read.
The Plague is a masterpiece.
It isn't
Just read it, today. I'm still ruminating on it.
Like I how camus makes a interesting narrative device like the fall where the narrator is anonymous and is narrated like an impartial observer who just wants to state the facts , only using other characters views and duary entries .
Especially considering the coronavirus
I thought it was pretty good, but nothing special.
I always had a secret desire to live being nobody... Sometimes I enjoy just being alone in tiny confide space ...so I can metaphorically feel safe that no one is aware about my existence... Normally I read books or watch movie (any normal activity that can be done in that small space) ... to say ..I am very normal person...I have a healthy happy life...But still thought of alone forgotten is beautiful .
Thank you. This is one of those very rare occasions when I see or hear a review of something I've read and it makes me want to read it again.
Happy to see a review of The Fall it's my all time favorite book
As one of the many who have reviewed the Stranger, good on you for doing something different! I enjoyed the video.
I just finished The Fall and after watching this, I don't even want to watch/read another review. You make me want to re-read it...away I go!
Good to see a review of this book. It calls out the hypocrisy of a bourgeoisie that hits pretty close to home.
paigechu I think it portrays the hypocrisy in human beings (not just the bourgeoise).
Awesome review, and thanks for the video. I just got done reading this for the first time today.
I made a connection, at least stylistically, between 'The Fall' and 'Notes from Underground'. In both, you have a highly intelligent, articulate, arrogant nihilist confessing in the first person the darkest depths of his soul, making excuses for his own inadequacies and then justifying them in a way that makes him feel superior for having done so. Both books also take that character in all of his reprehensible self loathing, and, like Jean-Baptiste describes at the end of this book, turn him on the reader and reflect it back like a mirror.
They illustrate what might be considered a very poor assimilation of the Jungian shadow, the darkest parts of our psyche that hide away in the recesses or our mind, that we are too afraid to bring forward and deal with. Who hasn't at some point felt proud and powerful in their own exaggerated sense of victimization, as if they had the right to judge the entire world by virtue of their own imagined oppression and hyperbolic self pity? Who hasn't felt the sting of unfairness and incomprehensibility of a situation, or life in general; felt the bitter resentment rise up; and the subsequent urge to do everything possible to make the situation infinitely worse? Who hasn't suffered the agonizing, endless discomfort of the little-ease of life, where we with our individual sovereignty, freedom and free will stand in isolated opposition to everyone else, crushed under the weight of their judgement until we can neither stand, sit, or stretch and are left to die in darkness?
Though over a century apart, I think these two books pair wonderfully and the 'The Fall' is immediately one of my new favorite books.
"Thousand yard stare of Guilt and Shame and Tragedy, ERGGHHH!"
Love it
"Red-wine Wednesday." Sounds like a plan.
I read the fall at the age of 19, 34 years ago. Thanks for reminding me of it, and In consequence I can almost see how it influenced me. I was an art student back then. I found a man who had attempted suicide a while after that, but in contrast I phoned for help and he didn’t die, even so it haunted me for a while.
I enjoyed this more than The Stranger. thanks for the review, love books!
The stranger
@@Steve-lt1op I've read the stranger need to read nausea. Have it on my bookshelf
@@Steve-lt1op No, Sartre sucks
"Don't wait for the Final Judgment. It happens every day." If that does not describe Internet demagoguery - I don't know what will.
'No man is a hypocrite in his pleasures' was my high school yearbook quote. Glad I had that in my back pocket from reading this book in one week a few years before graduating. Recognized many people in this one narrator...
I love the chaotic energy in this video
Such an intriguing book; It sparks a certain kind of strange hunger, and its sentences trail like the will-o'-the-wisps. You'll find what we had to say about it most fascinating.
We had an all-weekend celebration commemorating Lost Cross, (debatably) the oldest punk house in America over Labor Day weekend in my town. It was also a celebration of a local musician named Tim who was shot in his bedroom earlier this year, accidentally, by angry kids at a party next door. I can't think of a better way to nurse a three day hangover than going back to Camus, with pancakes.
Categorising books by how easy or quick they are to read seems like it would be useful.
Great review, btw ;)
I done did it for ye. Check the playlists. Goes by Hour/Day/Week/Month.
Love your reviews, this book sounds interesting definitely going to look it up.
Finally a good review of this book!!!
Amazing representation. , last night I finished this book. And each line of this book are my favorite. Thank you for explaining .
I agree, separating by length would be extremely helpful. I feel the same.
I've read The Fall three times so far, and this review makes me want to read it again. By far, the best Camus has ever written... speaking of which, Camus employed this 2nd person narration in a short story called "The Renegade." It's a priest who had his tongue cut out by infidels that tells the story this time. Dostoevsky also used the 2nd person in his novella, "Notes from the Underground." Anyhow, thanks. I enjoyed the review.
I read The Fall 30 years ago (10 times). Due to vandalism by my children I lost the book.
I am now coming out The Fall and into Winter, Then April (Spring)
Is the cruelest month, breeding Lilacs from the dead Land. 😇
Not Criterion. Janus films.
Best book I read this summer. Thanks for the video.
Excellent. THE FALL , hell of a book. And one hell of a band. MARK E. SMITH the HIP PRIEST! R.I.P.
the quote from Lermontov, at beginning, is Genius.....'A Hero Of Our Time'....
I would suggest we wouldn't be able to save her but we would have the courage to try, mainly because of how cold the water is and the speed of the current, that and it would be my first time having the capacity to trying to save anyone.
Heeeey Cliff. Great fuckin' review. Just had a birthday a couple days ago, and with Camus being one of the favorite authors, this helped make it an even better celebration. I tend to try and push Camus on friends and relatives, when they're looking at introspective work from someone whose ramblings I consider to be proof the crazy aren't so much.
You've done a hell of a job summing that up here. Hope you had a great labor day weekend. I know I did.
For sure man, you're welcome.
To my knowledge it wasn't Camus last book. Not even the last one published ante mortem. His last book is The First Man, which is awesome until you reach the chapters that he didn't have the time to rewrite.
But you gave me an idea of what to read next, mate.
Well, he kind of died with it on him unfinished, so not exactly his fault those chapters weren't awesome... Re-reading it at the moment, bc it had been a while
You remind me of the guy who does the art of manliness podcast. Voice and demeanor. Anyways, you're very captivating and informative, subscribed. :)
Thanks for the kind words Ivy, glad to have you!
Not sure if you check comments on old videos but I thought I'd suggest a book to you that is somewhat similar in structure to this one. Wittgenstein's Mistress is a special little book that I think you'd highly enjoy.
Good in-depth review. Thanks for making this.
Haven't read this one but your description of the narrative setup sounds similar to The Reluctant Fundamentalist, where you're just a passive listener to a narrator talking directly to you in a bar/cafe. Nice review! I didn't enjoy The Stranger but may give this a blast :)
Consider reading The Reluctant Fundamentalist if you'd like to read a similar narrative voice. However, you'll find yourself sipping tea in Karachi instead of drinking wine in Amsterdam ;)
I love your narration of Clamence in the book.
clicked this video cos the thumbnail is too epic
I get that problem of sorting books by length, I really want to read "The Better Angels of Our Nature" but I'm saving it for after graduation...
I just finished this book and I have no clue what I've just read
I just started reading this and your vid popped up. will save this for later!
Brilliant as always!
I thoroughly enjoyed your book review! Thank you!
You are amazing!! Subscribed 🧡
Thank you for reading to us. ✌️💙
This is more a description of the plot than a review of the book
"now I can remember! now I can remember!" The Classical, what a funky racket!
You should review The Friends of Eddie Coyle one of MES's favourite novels.
The film with Robert Mitchum is among the greatest of all time.
+Better Than Food: Book Reviews I'll check that out, ta very much!
What other books did he like
one of the best books of Camus. It has a philosophical aspect of the human being. Too deep, and takes time to re-read and understand it.
Have you read the plague? Not as good as the fall or the stranger but if you are on a camus binge is an intresting read.
What a fantastic take on a fantastic book. I read the Fall after reading the Conspiracy against the human race and damn, felt like an antidote
Hey man, great review, thanks a lot :) ever consider reviewing Bukowski? Would be nice. Cheers for all the reviews
I'm not going to say anything but I'm grinning from ear to ear so check back next week.
I've been waiting from your first review (which was Cioran after I had read a couple of his books for the first time) for Bukowski and Camus. Recently read Notes of a dirty old man and was thinking about recommending it to you, but I figured that you'd read it already^^
Well, one recommendation I have for you that you might not have heard about or read already is: Osamu Dazai. His novels No longer human and The setting sun are very great; since you liked Mishima, I figured you might like this guy too, and the books are more or less "Watakushi shōsetsu" - same the style as Confessions of a Mask and at least as disturbing but also hilarious (in a disturbed kind of suicidal and nihilistic way... You catch my drift, I'm sure).
Great video man! You nailed it! :D
Cliff, old review but a great one. But for the love of God can you tell me how you do your hair?
When are you going to do JG Ballard? High-Rise?
Whatcha think about reviewing Grendel? Lit bit of Gardener never hurt nobody. Plus I think he did something ballsy/perfect with the almost unreadable Beowulf.
Would it be possible to e-mail you a question, Cliff?
shoot
You look fucking great in this suit
This reviewer in this review reminds me of Jean-Baptiste Clamence in Camus' novel The Fall
Have you read The Idiot by Dostoyevsky? I personally think its better than Crime and Punishment.
No but very excited to - I heard it's fucking amazing
The Brothers Karamazov is even more amazing.
The Idiot is my fave of his works
woah. made me think of "The Falls" by George Saunders. same dilemma / different outcome. also "Good Old Neon" now that i think of it. fuck
Hmm... Some of Ligotti's short stories have done something vaguely similar to this, sometimes. Not as effectively, I suppose, but hey. Fuckin' Ligotti.
The Myth of SisyFIRST
Thank you 🙏🌸
I want to start a channel for audio books. Wanted to know if there are any copyright issues?
I want to point out to fascinating Riku Sayuj review on Goodreads. It is only about 500 words: www.goodreads.com/review/show/1074045075?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
tl;dr In The Fall you see the anti-thesis that you should use as your anti-model, as the one point which gives meaning to your picture by not being painted. You root for him to fall and fall - to Fall as horribly and as deep into the abyss as possible. Because that is the only way to root for yourself. Because the more he falls, the more you can see of what consists the abyss, and the further away you get from it. His Fall will save you. Mon cher, he is your personal Christ. (Read the whole thing. It's good.)
Is that a Gibson in the corner? The fret markers look like it but im not so sure
great book and great review, kudos et viva, what to do if he we hear that splash?! ;-) ps how about something linking another great post punk band and another gem? 'shooting an arab' perhaps? :-)
RIP Mark E. Smith.
May as well review A Happy Death, too.
Hey man, we got Labor Day in Canada too!
Well I hope it was good
Albert Camus stated that the point of philosophy is to resolve the issue as to whether one wants to live or to die. He was also a proponent of Absurdist philosophy.
Good review, but I would recommend to be a tad more concise - a bit too wordy at times, really causing certain points to really drag out. Good review, though.
Is that Welch's?
loved the book!
I went to the circus today
One of my childhood favorites thanks for doing this!!!
i was pronouncing it like hummus
Drop out drop out
As in from heavooonahh
The mighty fall
Always different always the same ahh
RIP MES
Is this guy a thesp ?
I thought the fall was 90 odd pages
Looking great! Greetings from Berlin
I read this around the same time as the Stranger years ago. Really liked The Stranger; didn't care for this one...
This sounds right up my street. I loved 'The Stranger' and 'The Plague', but then read 'A Happy Death' a drag to read (not the subject but everything feels directionless after the murder), so I've been a little apprehensive picking up another Camus book, but I'm definitely giving this a go.
My G, big love x
Awesome book. Truly agressive.
gagaggagaga that accent at the start
I like Paul Celan.
9:45
Ft. LA
So stylish
No way... I bought this yesterday. Coincidence creeps me out
16:21 that's what how i feel.