The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus (1942)

The Myth of Sisyphus is an essay by Camus in which he contemplates the apparent meaningless and absurdity of human existence, and questions how and why man can find ways to keep living when there appears to be no overreaching purpose in the universe. While often hailed as a landmark work in the philosophical tradition of absurdism, it can also be read as an answer to nihilism, the intellectual trend Camus repeatedly accuses throughout The Rebel of leading to the greatest disasters of the 20th century. In The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus seeks to reaffirm both the worth of human existence and the meaning man can create for himself through his own actions and values.