Quotes from book
The Fall

Name: The Fall
Author: Albert Camus

Albert CamusOriginal title La Chute (French, 1956)

The Fall is a philosophical novel by Albert Camus. First published in 1956, it is his last complete work of fiction. Set in Amsterdam, The Fall consists of a series of dramatic monologues by the self-proclaimed "judge-penitent" Jean-Baptiste Clamence, as he reflects upon his life to a stranger. In what amounts to a confession, Clamence tells of his success as a wealthy Parisian defense lawyer who was highly respected by his colleagues. His crisis, and his ultimate "fall" from grace, was meant to invoke, in secular terms, the fall of man from the Garden of Eden. The Fall explores themes of innocence, imprisonment, non-existence, and truth. In a eulogy to Albert Camus, existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre described the novel as "perhaps the most beautiful and the least understood" of Camus' books.

“To be happy, we must not be too concerned with others.”

Albert Camus book The Fall

The Fall (1956)

“You know what charm is: a way of getting the answer 'yes' without having asked any clear question.”

Albert Camus book The Fall

The Fall (1956)

“For anyone who is alone, without God and without a master, the weight of days is dreadful. Hence one must choose a master, God being out of style.”

Albert Camus book The Fall

The Fall (1956)

“Truth, like light, blinds. Falsehood, on the contrary, is a beautiful twilight that enhances every object.”

Albert Camus book The Fall

The Fall (1956)

“The essential is to cease being free and to obey, in repentance, a greater rogue than oneself. When we are all guilty, that will be democracy.”

Albert Camus book The Fall

The Fall (1956)

“Let’s not beat around the bush; I love life — that’s my real weakness. I love it so much that I am incapable of imagining what is not life.”

Albert Camus book The Fall

The Fall (1956)

“This is the truth," we say. "You can discuss it as much as you want; we aren't interested. But in a few years there'll be the police who will show you we are right.”

Albert Camus book The Fall

The Fall (1956)

“In order to cease being a doubtful case, one has to cease being, that's all.”

Albert Camus book The Fall

The Fall (1956)

“Martyrs must choose between being forgotten, mocked, or made use of. As for being understood—never!”

Albert Camus book The Fall

The Fall (1956)

“Do not wait for the Last Judgment. It takes place every day.”

Albert Camus book The Fall

Variant translations: I shall tell you a great secret, my friend. Do not wait for the Last Judgment. It takes place every day.
Do not await the last Judgement. It takes place everyday.
You needn't await the Final Judgment. It takes place every day.
The Fall (1956)

“God is not needed to create guilt or to punish. Our fellow men suffice, aided by ourselves.”

Albert Camus book The Fall

The Fall (1956)

“Thus I progressed on the surface of life, in the realm of words as it were, never in reality. All those books barely read, those friends barely loved, those cities barely visited, those women barely possessed! I went through the gestures out of boredom or absent-mindedness. Then came the human beings, they wanted to cling, but there was nothing to cling to, and that was unfortunate – for them. As for me, I forgot. I never remembered anything but myself.”

Albert Camus book The Fall

The Fall (1956)