Albert Camus is an engaging author, whose novels L’Étranger and La Chute guided me into French literature. I had hoped to find more of his enigmatic writing in L’été, a collection of short essays (or essayistic stories) written in the 1940s, but I found them too brief to truly enjoy. There are good reasons to appreciate the essays, though. Camus’ musings on the Mediterranean, particularly his birthplace, French Algeria, are worthwhile and rich with classical references. A highlight is his reflection on Oran, a city ‘with its back against the sea’, characterised by both beauty and ennui, where the author reveals how grace can be found in even the smallest things.

Il semble que les Oranais soient comme cet ami de Flaubert qui, au moment de mourir, jetant un dernier regard sur cette terre irremplaçable, s’écriait : « Fermez la fenêtre, c’est trop beau. » Ils ont fermé la fenêtre, ils se sont emmurés, ils ont exorcisé le paysage.