French Literature Reviews - 2026

B. Quinquis, L'Antiquité chez Albert Camus
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas

Bernard Quinquis, L'Antiquité chez Albert Camus - Caligula, La Peste et La Chute

Foreword by Pascal David.

Paris: L'Harmattan, coll. "Ouverture philosophique", 2014.

226 p.

EAN 9782343025278 (EAN Ebook format Pdf: 9782336345215)

22.00 EUR (digital version: 16.50 EUR)

Publisher's overview:

Twentieth-century writers, for whom the study of the "humanities" was still a mandatory rite of passage, were deeply imbued with ancient culture; understanding their work requires, among other things, analyzing how they reinvested this heritage: which ancient works inspired them, and why and how? This is the central question explored in this book, specifically focusing on an author who never made a secret of his visceral attachment to Greece: Albert Camus.

Twentieth-century literature often engaged in a sustained dialogue with the classical tradition, reflecting an educational background steeped in the humanities. Writers frequently drew upon ancient philosophy, myth, and history to articulate modern concerns, making the reception of antiquity a vital area of study within intellectual history and literary scholarship.

Readers interested in the reception of classical antiquity and the philosophical underpinnings of twentieth-century French literature may find it relevant.