Camus at "combat": Writing 1944-1947

Albert Camus was a multi-faceted writer: novelist, playwright, essayist, and (for a time) journalist -- the aspect of his literary talents least known in the United States. Before the publication of "The Stranger", Camus had made a name for himself as a left-wing journalist in his native Algeria. In 1943, re-located to occupied Paris, Camus began writing for the underground Resistance newspaper "Combat" and for some time served as its editor-in-chief. From 1944 to 1946, "Combat" and Camus were among the most influential voices on political affairs in France. CAMUS AT COMBAT collects all of Camus's journalism (mostly editorials) published in "Combat" between March 1944 and June 1947 - about 170 pieces in all. It is the first such collection published in English translation. It is an admirable volume in many ways. It is handsomely put together, with instructive and useful but not overly copious footnotes. There is an excellent 20-page foreword by David Carroll. Among the themes addressed by Camus in various pieces were the "just" treatment of Vichy officials and Nazi collaborators, freedom of the press and democracy in post-War France, and Algeria and colonialism. Not surprisingly, the work is uneven. Too often it is cliched, emotional, or grandiloquent. But virtually every piece contains further evidence of Camus as a morally concerned intellectual, an independent and original thinker. And virtually every piece contains something of interest or value, even at this remove. Nevertheless, I am less than enthusiastic about CAMUS AT COMBAT because, at least for me, it was impossible to read from cover to cover. That surely is a problem with any comprehensive collection of editorials. Each is written to address immediate concerns of that very day in a few hundred words, with inevitable uncertainty about what might be the topic of the next editorial. And the next editorial often deals with any entirely different subject, giving any such collection a herky-jerky feel. Camus's journalism undoubtedly was very distinguished and influential for contemporary French readers of "Combat", but more than six decades later CAMUS AT COMBAT is of more interest to the scholar than to the general reader in the English-speaking world. Postscript: Sixty-five years ago today (on April 14, 1945), Camus wrote an editorial in response to the news of FDR's death. To give you one example of Camus's journalistic style and to honor one of the greatest U.S. presidents, here is an excerpt from that editorial: "His face was the very image of happiness. For so many who knew him without ever coming near him, all that remains is the smile that for all those years he displayed on the front pages of newspapers, on movie screens, and amid cheering crowds of his countrymen. This is no doubt the reason for the emotion that was felt throughout the free world at the news of his death, even though it was but one of the many deaths that America has contributed to ou

Having been a big fan of Camus' novels and essays prior to discovering this collection, I was very excited to pick this up. This book is extremely well researched with lots of footnotes that add great insight into the social and political events Camus references in hist articles. What I enjoyed most about this book was how Camus applies the themes so prevalent in his essays and novels to the dramatic events in the immediate days leading up to and following the end of WW II. I was struck by the absolute chaos and turmoil that existed but is often forgotten. This book is excellent for so many reasons. The beauty of Camus' writing is equaled by the gravity of the events he describes.

I liked the essays, but I liked them better in the more fleshed out "Camus at Combat," which in my opinion has better translations for the English reader.

If you are unfamiliar with the global struggle against Nazism, and the French idealogical struggle against this same threat, this may not be the book for you. However, I highly doubt that this is the first title one comes across as one encountering Camus for the first time. So, if you are one of those, perhaps you may like to look at something that is more of one one the great "Nobel Prize-Wining" author's novels first. They are entirely engaging and easy to read, but an intellectual challenge. Intellectual grandstanding aside, I found this book wonderful. It gives perspective into the mind of one of the greatest Journalists / Novelist of the twentieth century. I have enjoyed his essays and novels in the past, but as a former working journalists, the thing that amazed me the most was his ability to see into the future based off of world events. Camus's insights are as revelant today as 60 years ago when he was writing in Combat. In this book, the young man's insight's and intellectual development are laid out in a neatly ordered fashion. A caveat, this is a hard book to "get into". While there is a grand historical narrative, there is little continuity between the passages, making this, at least for me, a lengthy read. However lengthy it was, it was worth it. Camus's insights and his highly quotable and pity quotes are massively enjoyable. My significant other would account the times I had to read her a line. As a teacher, I had to have much restraint to not plaster my room with his quotes. The entry reflecting the first explosion of the atomic bomb is worth the price of admission alone.

For those who only know the novels of Camus, here is what I found to be an invaluable collection of his writings on key issues of the mid 1940's. It made me want to keep reading more about this major intellectual figure.