ATDDTA (6) 166-170 b

[Dave Monroe]

On 4/5/07, Monte Davis <monte.davis at bms.com> wrote:

> > 168: 37    "The legal pretense would have taken the merciless honed
> > edge from  the joy of the deed itself, it scarcely mattered whether or
> > not the Kaffir had  stolen the stone..."
> >
> > "joy of the deed itself"   (eeks)
>
> Like Meursault killing a random Algerian in _The Stranger_, say.
>
> "L'acte gratuit," especially murder, was named in Gide's _Lafcadio_ but
> reaches back to  Dostoevsky and forward to Bret Easton Ellis &co.

Not to mention Johnny Cash ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folsom_Prison_Blues

http://www.guitaretab.com/c/cash-johnny/3114.html

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6596009/folsom_prison_blues

... or even The Cure (apres Camus) ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_an_Arab

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7lULaE6kv4

http://www.musicfanclubs.org/cure/lyrics/killinganarab.html