Albert Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus is not simply a re-telling of the myth itself, but also an interpretation of the way in which the myth can be related to the life of humanity in general, and in particular to one's understanding and acceptance of the futility of life, which he does not consider to be negative per se. He looks at the nature of Sisyphus' character, the way in which he challenged and defied the gods, and the punishment he received as a result. However, he does not look at Sisyphus' fate as something which defines the gods as victorious and Sisyphus as subjugated to their will, primarily because of the way in which Sisyphus himself perceives his condition.

He begins by giving a brief account of the life of Sisyphus and the reasons why he was punished by the gods, which delineates the events, and the...