BOOK REVIEW: The Sea Close By by Albert Camus

The Sea Close By by Albert Camus.

Title: The Sea Close By
Author: Albert Camus
Genre: Essays
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: 1st August 2013
Goodreads Summary: Part of the Penguin Classics campaign celebrating 100 years of Albert Camus, A Sea Close By reveals the writer as a sensual witness of landscapes, the sea and sailing. It is a light, summery day-dream.

Accompanying The Sea Close By is the essay Summer in Algiers, a lovesong to his Mediterranean childhood.

{ Review }

At only 22 pages long, this is a short and sweet read. This a collection of two essays by Camus: The Sea Close By and Summer in Algiers. The former is about the sea whilst the latter is about the city and so these two essays compliment each other very well in this short collection.

This little book is absolutely beautiful with quote after quote after quote that will make your heart swell. I have to admit, I didn't understand what Camus was getting at sometimes but this didn't bother me because the way in which he expresses himself is just sublime. In order to truly appreciate this piece of work, I imagine one would have to read it incredibly slowly and carefully so as not to miss one single adjective. Whilst reading this, I felt like I had been transported to another world because Camus descriptions are so real and so beautiful.

For me, reading this was definitely more style over substance. I don't feel that these works had a particular aim or purpose other than for Camus to put his thoughts down, and my, what beautiful thoughts. Both of these essays are observations, not stories, so you're really just following a trail of thought.


All in all, I wouldn't expect much more from this little book than 22 pages of the most beautiful writing you've ever read. If writing in books wasn't one of my pet peeves, I would've definitely highlighted passages of this book so that I could remember my favourite parts. That said, I probably would've highlighted the entire novel. The Sea Close By is a lovely little booklet that one could spend a summer afternoon devouring. It's also the sort of book that you can pick up time and time again, flick to a random page, read a random passage and just sigh at the beauty of life. Highly recommended.