The Mystery of Albert Camus's Manuscript Resurfaces
Two complete manuscripts of Albert Camus’s renowned novel, The Stranger, have sparked intense intrigue and speculation. One of these rare documents, embellished with annotations, sketches, and marginal comments, was recently auctioned in Paris at Tajan auction house for 500,000 euros, including costs, the final amount reached 656,000 euros. This manuscript, dated 1940 but written in 1944, remains a subject of fascination for scholars and collectors alike.
Despite the manuscript being cataloged to April 1940, experts, backed by testimonies from Camus's family, agree it was actually penned in 1944, two years post the book's initial publication. During the dismal era of World War II, Camus, then 31, was residing in Nazi-occupied Paris and contributing to the clandestine magazine Combat. Camus’s financial situation was precarious, indicating that he might have rewritten this novel to earn extra income.
Uncovering Historical and Artistic Insights
Scholars like Anne Prouteau and Mohammed Aïssaoui highlight the manuscript's historical significance. They emphasize its commercial potential amidst an expanding art and autograph market under occupation. Francine Faure, Camus's wife, even attested that the rewriting could have been a financial necessity. The manuscript's nuanced history, containing deletions, marginalia, and 14 hidden jokes, encapsulates more than just a story. It represents a multi-layered artifact blending personal, historical, and artistic reverberations.
The manuscript's physical attributes further amplify its allure. Described as a “beautiful object” by expert Ségolène Beauchamp, it features a rigid cover adorned with golden geometric lines, crowded margins filled with sketches, caricatures, and guillotines—all indicative of Camus's playful yet profound engagement with his work. Some drawings intertwine with text fragments, including elements from The Myth of Sisyphus (1942) and Caligula (1944).
Shadows of Influence and Speculation
The manuscript’s provenance and purpose raise formidable questions. Was it merely an effort to make extra money, or was it a creative venture influenced by friends and peers? Josette Clotis, a close associate, might have dictated parts of the manuscript to Camus. Her involvement and affiliation with the novelist André Malraux, who worked for Gallimard, underscore the interconnected literary circles of the time.
Regardless of these speculations, the essence of The Stranger as a literary masterpiece remains unsullied. Initially printed in 4,400 copies, the novel eventually sold millions, becoming a cornerstone of French literature. Meursault’s narrative—a young French Algerian who commits a seemingly inexplicable murder—still allures with its existential themes. The auction of this enigmatic manuscript brings forth the kaleidoscopic dimensions of Camus’s life and the timeless relevance of his work.
- Camus's daughter, Catherine Camus, in a 2014 interview with Yale professor Alice Kaplan, confirmed Josette Clotis’s presence during the manuscript's rewriting. This adds another dimension to the mysterious narrative of how the manuscript came into existence.
- The insights offered by specialists highlight how during the German occupation, the art and autograph market saw a significant surge, hinting at why Camus might have recognized the commercial value in revisiting his famous work.
- Ultimately, whether driven by necessity, artistic exploration, or external influence, the slight farcical elements in the annotations reveal a different facet of Camus's personality, one often eclipsed by his somber existential themes.
