The Fall- Albert Camus

Name: Caitlin

Grade: 12

Book: The Fall by Albert Camus

The Fall is a beautifully written first-person narrative from the point of view of Jean-Baptiste Clamence, who is discussing with a stranger his "fall" from grace. Clamence was once a highly respected lawyer, but as time wore on, he found himself falling from this position to a mere man at a bar in the "shady" part of town. Clamence's story is tragic and at times shocking. His utter detachedness from people and society clearly shows in the stories he tell you, the reader. As you travel with Clamence through Amsterdam, he tells his stories, spewing bits and pieces of advice for life and developing further his philosophies. The further Clamence falls from the "garden of Eden" the more apparent it becomes that he has lived his life the wrong way.

This book was a book unlike any I have ever read. It's almost impossible to describe to anyone that hasn't read it. The way the first person is written draws you in as an active character listening to this man, walking down the dirty streets of Amsterdam. Often, I found myself underlining the copy I was reading because parts of what Clamence said applied so well to me as a person, as well as applying to much of society.

It was a beautiful look into the human perspective and how we, as humans, can fall from even our highest positions. It discussed human innocence, judgment, truth, and imprisonment. I I loved this book and all it described and I definitely hope to read more by Camus in the very near future.

Why I Picked up the Book: I actually bought it because I loved the cover.

Why I finished it: Whenever I piked it up, I found it very hard to put down. It was also really thought provoking.

I'd give this books to: Anyone up to reading some philosophy; the nice thing about Camus is that his fictional philosophical narratives are typically very short.

I wouldn't give this book to: Anyone who finds philosophy boring, or hates reading books translated from their original languages.

My Rating for this book: *****