A Literary Janus

The Fall - Albert Camus
One of the many joys of Camus' works is that they are generally short (and relatively easy to read) something that cannot be said of Sartre (related Joss Whedon link), his contemporary and on-again-off-again friend. Don't misunderstand me though, short and easy to read do not mean lightweight, fluffy or inconsequential. The Fall, and The Stranger both delve into the pits of existentialism (you know - denying intrinsic meaning /purpose, individual responsibility, etc.) but not so much as to intrude on the story line. And this is a good story too, especially if you like the style of Edwardian works by James, or Forster. Being an existentialist book means that it's about choice and consequence. In this book the choice refers to an upperclass lawyer (whose name translates to John the Baptist) - or possibly an actor - a few strangers, a story told in a bar - referred to as a church - of past mistakes and a bridge. (guess where the title comes from?) As you can see it is a book rife with contradictions and socio-religious references. As with most other literature, the more references you catch, the better the story. Regardless of how many of these sometimes obscure references you catch the last paragraph is worth the entire book.
Rating: A
Related:
The Stranger - Albert Camus
This story on NPR