The Fall

I thought this was a near masterpiece. Short, with few wasted words, but a strong and well-delivered message about the absence of innocence (or common guilt, perhaps) in any of us, told from the point of view of an unsympathetic and self-loathing (while still vain and self-admiring) narrator who speaks to an unseen listener, who can therefore be any of us. His tale is stark but somehow very real and believable, and resonated as a reflection of contemporary times despite being over 50 years old. Camus had the ability to be philosophical without using overtly philosophical methods, and I f=ind that very attractive. The character is real, feels like flesh and blood, but is also a symbol and a mouthpiece. Powerful and economical and impressive.