BRETON ANDRE: (1896-1966) French writer and poet, the co-founder, leader and principal theorist of surrealism. An interesting letter, Andre Breton , two pages (separate leaves), 4to, Paris, 23rd November 1951, to Louis Pauwels, in French. Breton begins his letter by declaring 'Without a doubt, the reader of Arts would find it tedious to see a polemic between Albert Camus and myself, concerning The Rebel , erupt further , a polemic which (as is the nature of the genre) unfortunately tends to become exacerbated by taking a personal turn.' I am aware, however, of having taken issue exclusively with his latest work, not, as he claims, with his person for whom I felt quite the opposite of animosity . tone. I am aware, however, that I have criticized only his latest work, and not, as he claims, the man himself, towards whom I felt quite the opposite of animosity.? ) and continues ?I must confine myself to a few examples. It is, to say the least, specious to maintain that in *The Rebel* , "Sade is in no way portrayed as a torturer , " when, on page 64, a quotation from him is commented on as follows: "We must keep walking; the torturers exchange glances." Furthermore, adding, "Regarding the investigation into suicide, in issue 2 of * La R?volution surr?aliste*, it must be noted that Camus's reaction is redundant with that of Francis Jammes, who wrote to us at the time: 'The question you ask is wretched, and if ever a poor man "If a child kills himself because of her, you will be the murderer! There are damned souls. Your only recourse, if you have any conscience left, is to go throw yourself into a confessional." Whether Nietzsche comes to "take a breather with Gyp" or Camus with Jammes, it remains nonetheless true that the investigation of the Surrealist Revolutionto my knowledge (I am able to prove that the determinations of Rigaud, of Crevel came from much further back) did not cause the slightest victim, which cannot be said of Werther or "Gloomy Sunday". It did not turn out to be more harmful than L??tranger ......? (Translation: ?As for the survey on suicide in issue 2 of The Surrealist Revolution , it must be noted that Camus's reaction is identical to that of Francis Jammes, who wrote to us at the time: ?The question you are asking is wretched, and if ever a poor child takes their own life because of it, you will be the murderer! There are the damned. Your only resorte, if you have even a shred of conscience left, is to throw yourself into a confessional.? Whether Nietzsche comes to ?breathe a little on Gyp's neck? or Camus on Jammes's, it remains no less true that the survey in La R?volution r?gional has not, to my knowledge (I am in a position to prove that the convictions of Rigaud and Crevel stemmed from much further back) claimed a single victim, which cannot be said of *Werther* or *Sombre Sunday*. than The Stranger... ). Breton concludes his letter by remarking, "It is here that we must test the consistency or lack thereof of this 'lucid' revolt, uncontaminated by resentment, which he offers us as a panacea... It seems to me very unfortunately significant that, in the end, Camus can only oppose the revolt of Sade or Stirner with 'the age-old will not to submit,' of which Barres spoke... You know that I never intended to insult Camus, nor to 'capitalize' on the revolt. I even commend Camus for having undertaken to build a bulwark against the moral misery of our time." For this dike to exist, I would not have been the last to make great sacrifices, but I say that, thus conceived, it is a decoy and that it is asking the impossible to expect us, in order to promote a most fallacious reverse revolt , to scuttle all the ships flying the flag of revolt....' (Translation:?It is here that we must test the substance ? or lack thereof ? of this 'lucid' revolt, 'uncontaminated by resentment', which he offers us as a panacea.....It strikes me as very regrettably significant that, in the face of the rebellion of Sade or Stirner, Camus ultimately finds nothing to set against it but ?the age-old will not to submit of which Barres spoke?.........You know that I have never had any intention of insulting Camus, nor of 'capitalizing' on rebellion. I even commend Camus for having set out to build a dam against the moral destitution of our times. Had this bulwark been to exist, I would not have been the last to agree to make great sacrifices, but I say that, conceived in this way, it is a delusion, and that it is asking the impossible to expect us, in order to promote a most fallacious reverse revolt, to scuttle all the vessels flying the flag of revolt....? ). A letter of good content. Some light age wear, a small tear to the first page, and a few water stains to the second page, slightly affecting some words of text (which remain legible) but not the signature. With a few bold blue indelible pencil annotations in another hand. About G

Louis Pauwels (1920-1997) French journalist and writer.

Albert Camus (1913-1960) French philosopher, author and dramatist, Nobel Prize winner for Literature, 1957.

Breton's letter belongs to the public controversy that followed the publication of Camus's L'Homme r?volt? (The Rebel) in October 1951. In the book, Camus argued that legitimate rebellion must be governed by moral limits, criticizing revolutionary movements and thinkers whom he believed had transformed revolt into nihilism or justified violence in the name of absolute freedom. His critique extended to Surrealism, which he accused of exalting negation and irrationality at the expense of ethical responsibility.

Breton rejected this interpretation, maintaining that Camus had fundamentally misunderstood the aims of Surrealism. In particular, he defended the movement's engagement with figures such as the Marquis de Sade and Max Stirner, arguing that Camus reduced complex philosophical explorations of freedom to mere celebrations of violence. The present letter also addresses Camus's criticism of the Surrealists' 1924 inquiry into suicide, with Breton insisting that it neither encouraged suicide nor bore responsibility for the deaths of Surrealists such as Jacques Rigaut or Ren? Crevel.

The exchange formed part of one of the major French intellectual debates of the post-war period. While Camus's The Rebel famously precipitated his break with Jean-Paul Sartre and the Marxist left, Breton's criticism came from a different perspective: rather than defending revolutionary politics, he challenged Camus's attempt to redefine ?revolt? in moral terms, arguing that such a conception diminished the radical, emancipatory spirit at the heart of the Surrealist movement.