Camus and Sartre: The Story of a Friendship and the Quarrel that Ended It

Until now, it has been impossible to read the full story of the relationship between Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre. Their dramatic rupture at the height of the Cold War, like that conflict itself, demanded those caught in its wake to take sides rather than to appreciate its tragic complexity. Now, using newly available sources, Ronald Aronson offers the first book-length account of the twentieth century's most famous friendship and its end.

The Beginning of a Friendship

Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre first met in 1943, during the German occupation of France. The two became fast friends—intellectual as well as political allies. They grew famous overnight after Paris was liberated.

As playwrights, novelists, philosophers, journalists, and editors, the two seemed to be everywhere and in command of every medium in post-war France.

A Friendship Under Strain

East-West tensions began to put a strain on their friendship as they evolved in opposing directions. They started to disagree over:

• Philosophy
• The responsibilities of intellectuals
• What sorts of political changes were necessary or possible

As Camus and Sartre took on the roles of public spokespersons for their respective sides, a historic showdown seemed inevitable.

The Bitter Break

Sartre embraced violence as a path to change, while Camus sharply opposed it. This fundamental difference led to a bitter and very public falling out in 1952. They never spoke again, though they continued to disagree, in code, until Camus's death in 1960.

A Nuanced and Balanced Account

In a remarkably nuanced and balanced account, Aronson chronicles this riveting story while demonstrating how Camus and Sartre:

• Developed first in connection with each other
• Then evolved against each other, keeping the other in their sights long after their break

Combining biography and intellectual history with philosophical and political passion, Camus and Sartre will fascinate anyone interested in these great writers or the world-historical issues that tore them apart.