The Fall

Interesting Facts

• The book is a monologue by the main character, Jean-Baptiste Clamence, who tells his story to a stranger in an Amsterdam bar.
• Jean-Baptiste Clamence was a successful lawyer in Paris, but his life changed after an incident where he failed to help a drowning woman.
• The title of the book symbolizes both the physical fall and the moral fall of the main character.
• The book explores themes of guilt, hypocrisy, and moral decline, reflecting Camus's philosophy of the absurd.
• Amsterdam is described in the book as a «city of reflections», symbolizing the protagonist's internal contemplation and self-analysis.
• Jean-Baptiste Clamence calls himself a «judge-penitent», highlighting his awareness of his own guilt and attempts at redemption.