This book is three things: it is an autobiography of a great writer; it is a novel, albeit unfinished, that evokes breathtakingly the atmospheres and social situations of post WWI colonial Algeria; and it is a wonderful insight into the processes of literary creation. In its autobiographical content it is necessary reading for any devotees of the man and his work. As a novel, unless we insist on such art forms as being formally complete and structurally sound, it is a magical evocation of Twentieth Century Algeria, its sounds, sights and smells. It is also a touching account of a deprived childhood, and a chronicle of the coming to terms with the loss of a father in such circumstances. Finally, from the standpoint of literary creation, the work is complete enough to thrill the reader, and the perception of the missing parts, augmented by Camus’ often cryptic notes gives a rare insight into the creative process. Its appearance, so long after Camus’ death, is a credit to his daughter, Catherine, and a considerable benefit to the world. ( )

The manuscript was found in Camus's car after his fatal accident. Obviously autobiographical, it concerns coming of age in Algeria, and was the beginning of a projected multi-volume epic. Unlike most of the French Left, Camus was sympathetic to the French colonial presence in Algeria. According to the introduction by his daughter, that was the reason this book has taken so long to see the light of day -- it has taken that long for the wounds of that long war to settle down.

As a novel, it is wonderful. It has no noticeable plot; instead, it's a series of vignettes, high-spirited and intensely emotional (about as far away from L'Etranger as you can get). I had an unexplainable but deep feeling that, in this book, Camus did his best to speak for the illiterates, the deaf, the voiceless of the vanishing Franco/Algerian society -- and to thank some family and friends, and in particular one fine teacher (a letter from the "real" teacher is included) who labored under less than grand circumstances to send the most promising of his students to a better education than he could provide. ( )

http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/acamus.htm...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_C...
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/li... ( )