Describes the historical background of Camus' novel, discusses its themes, and compares the viewpoints of Camus and Sartre (view table of contents)

Product Description: In 1981, in uneasy alliance with the Communists and amidst a storm of revolutionary rhetoric, the French Socialist party came to power for the first time since the founding of the Fifth Republic. The only full-length study of the subject yet written, this book looks at the realities beyond the rhetoric--how the Left came to power, what the Socialists achieved in the way of social change, where they failed to diverge from policies associated with the Right, and what lasting impact their brief tenure is likely to have on French and European politics...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Interweaves discussion and evaluation of Camus' work with an account of the events of his life, providing a concise yet subtle analysis of how his experiences influenced his work