# The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus

6 Hacker News commenters recommended The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended for its account of the absurd hero, especially the third and fourth parts. Critics find the conclusion that Sisyphus is happy forced and call it a rehash of Stoic and Taoist teaching.

## Why people recommend it

- Explains the absurd hero (1 comments): "I reccomend reading _The Myth of Sisyphus_, especially the third and fourth parts, for Camus' explanation of the absurd hero." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49129972))
- Imagery of fulfilled tedium (1 comments): "imagining Sisyphus fulfilled by the tedium of pushing the boulder up the hill" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50046993))
- Underrated second-last line (1 comments): "Even the second-last line is underrated" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49129938))

## What people warn about

- Forced conclusion about Sisyphus's happiness (1 comments): "the conclusion that Sisyphus is happy feels yet a bit forced" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49139034))
- Tedious, rehashes Stoic and Taoist teaching (1 comments): "I found it tedious and boring. Sort of a rehash of stoic and Taoist teaching." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48164952))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [What Is It Like to Be a Bat? by Thomas Nagel](https://hackerapproved.com/p/what-is-it-like-to-be-a-bat.md): 10 recommend
- [The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences by Eugene Wigner](https://hackerapproved.com/p/unreasonable-effectiveness-of-mathematics-in-the-natural-sciences.md): 6 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0525564454?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780525564454) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus", https://hackerapproved.com/p/myth-of-sisyphus/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).