Create Dangerously: Albert Camus (Penguin Modern)

Not an easy read (for me anyway) but very thought provoking. It's good to challenge yourself sometimes with more difficult ideas. Handy pocketable size.

All three speeches were fantastic. The title of the book perfectly encapsulates the first speech, with the second being the least memorable, and the most reliant of the time of its publication, but it’s still enjoyable. The third is still, like the first, incredibly relevant. Camus speaks in such an eloquent and distinct way with a nice twang of sarcasm throughout. Essential stuff if you have any interest at all on the subjects discussed.

amazing bok

This short work consists of three speeches: Create Dangerously, delivered in 1957 at the University of Uppsala, a few days after Camus was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature; Bread and Freedom to the Labour Exchange of Saint-Etienne in 1953; and Defence of Intelligence at a meeting organised by L’Amitie Francaise in 1945. Albert Camus was a French philosopher, author and journalist, famous for his novel The Stranger which reflected some of his absurdism views. He has had several novels published as well as short stories, nonfiction books, plays and essays. This collection of speeches that discuss art, liberty and responsibility in post-war Europe are exquisitely articulated and provokes plenty of thinking and debating. Having read this during a week where Professor Stephen Hawking passed away, makes me wonder that this is perhaps the philosophical equivalent of Hawking’s A Brief History in Time, but in relation to art and the creator’s motive, obligation and constraints. Camus discusses what is in the mind of creators, like artists and writers, and their approach to conveying their work, the reason for why they create, and the position it sits in terms of liberty. He moves on from this point in another essay where he speaks about the true meaning of freedom, and the concept that we are, and are not free. To be honest I struggled with this collection of speeches from Camus. My eyes glazed over plenty sentences which seemed to go on forever, and talk endlessly about a certain meaning or concept. This would be gold dust to an Arts student at a university, but for a reader that is picking it up as a passing interest, it was a difficult read.

Just buy it. Great value. It's in pocket. Amazing work.

A small book, two short essays. Easy to put in a pocket for a short journey

As a writer I can't but stress contemporary and eternal importance of Albert Camus and any of his texts. Camus show us that he was much more than a writer, author and philosopher, he was a reluctant prophet who sensed those invisible artifacts of the past now covered by the moss of time and ages. This is essential reading from one of the greatest authors of all time. Penguin, this time in its disguise of the ''Penguin Modern'' has been at the forefront of new ideas and great literature. Excellent and thank you! I can't wait to read Danilo Kiš book in this edition as well.

Love all these books. Easy commute accompaniment - be finished by the time you’re home!

Muy bueno

It's Camus. What's not to like?!

This book by Albert Camus is challenging to review because I extract new meanings every time I read the text. The first essay, or lecture, ‘Create Dangerously,’ is the longest of the three in the book and demands several rereadings. To create now, I paraphrase from the book, is to create dangerously. Silence is a choice. He wrote these words about seventy years ago, which not only ring true today but may ring louder than in his time. The genius of his writing is that these words are timeless, wise, and direct. Not for him is the delicate, amorphous phrase that hurts your head as you try to unravel the meaning. The writing is direct, forceful, and loaded with meaning. His distinct writing is brilliant; the language is economical, making it easy to follow. Why do I insist you read and reread the book several times? I insist because every time you read the book, you will notice something new, gain fresh insight, and learn new lessons. If you care deeply about society, justice, artistic integrity, communication, and passion for your craft, you must have this book by your desk or bedside to peruse. Be careful if you like highlighting sentences: you may discover you have underlined more than you bargained for!

Love all these gems in the collection. Most I have read before... but long ago.

Es un muy buen libro, muy barato y con un tamaño para llevar a cualquier sitio, le doy 4 estrellas porque hay mejores obras, pero me encanta