Yves Ansel's 'Albert Camus, Totem et Tabou' Challenges Camus's Colonial Legacy

Yves Ansel, a Stendhal specialist, has published 'Albert Camus, Totem et Tabou, Politique de la Postérité' with Presses Universitaires de Rennes. The essay argues that Camus's representation of his native Algeria aligns with colonial literature, particularly in 'L'Étranger,' which Ansel reads as the ambiguous account of a racist crime. Ansel critiques the posthumous 'discours d'escorte' that have canonized Camus while ignoring this colonial dimension. Philippe Forest reviews the book in artpress, noting that while the thesis is not entirely new, it is defended with rigor and panache. The book challenges the consensus around Camus as a revered modern writer, especially as the centenary of his birth approaches.