Albert Camus, American Journals (1978).

Manhattan. Sometimes from beyond the skyscrapers, across thousands of high walls, the fearful cry of a too-well-known voice finds you in your insomnia in the middle of the night, and you remember that this desert of iron and cement is an island of un-reality.

— Albert Camus on New York City

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Manhattan. Sometimes from beyond the skyscrapers, across thousands of high walls, the fearful cry of a too-well-known voice finds you in your insomnia in the middle of the night, and you remember that this desert of iron and cement is an island of un-reality." in the context of "Albert Camus, American Journals (1978)." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Quote Image
Source: Wikiquote: "New York City" (C) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Albert Camus

About Albert Camus

Albert Camus (November 7, 1913 – January 4, 1960) was a French Pied-Noir author, absurdist philosopher and winner of the 1957 Nobel Prize for Literature.