A Happy Death
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. In many ways A Happy Death is a fascinating first sketch for The Outsider, but it can also be seen as a candid self-portrait, drawing on Camus's memories of his youth, travels and early relationships. It is infused with lyrical descriptions of the sun-drenched Algiers of his childhood - the place where, eventually, Mersault is able to find peace and die 'without anger, without hatred, without regret'. - Amazon
Comments
This is easily one of my favorite books of all time. It doesn't get a lot of love though for some reason. 'The Stranger' seems to get all the attention. Which is fine. But what's so great about 'A Happy Death,' is that it's his first book, and it provided the framework for a lot of his future themes.
youre right. the stranger and the fall both seem to be the easiest to notice. the plague is currently on my desk, for that matter. but ive never read Happy Death. there's a huge sale currently at the downtown library jen and i aim to attend this afternoon and so i'll look for a copy there !
i think the reason this is often overlooked is because it wasn't published in his life time. Unless my memories all jangled and that's not true.
But, yeah, it's almost his first attempt at The Stranger.