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Loading... The Strangerby Albert Camus
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Existentialism. This is a book that deserves multiple readings and means different things to readers. I only read it once, and I am not sure if I understand it. But I think I know how the protagonist feels - the dont-want-to-care about things attitude, and doing things in the heat of the moment. Not to the extent of committing murder in the case of Meursault, sometimes, you don't know why you did certain things and you can't explain. "Like" doesn't really fit for this title. The work is darkly compelling with a man's whole world view outlined by plain sentence structure and chronological unfolding of ordinary horrifying events related in matter-of-fact first person. An old favourite that I finally got round to reading in the original French and while it's faded somewhat for me over the years already as I've grown older and grown away from some of what initially struck a chord with me, I still like it a good deal and had been planning to delve into it from quite early on - surprised it took me this long. ____ A really quick and easy read, I must have been close to the golden 98% comprehension while going through this as 200 pages has certainly never been so rapid for me in French. The simple prose meant just a few unfamiliar turns of phrase and some legal terminology required me to use the Kindle look-up, but otherwise this was quite seamless.
It is quite a trick to write of life & death, as Camus does, in terms of an almost total social and moral vacuum. He may get philosophical satisfaction from it. Most readers will call it philosophic doodling. "The Stranger,” a novel of crime and punishment by Albert Camus, published today, should touch off in this country a renewed burst of discussion about the young French writers who are at the moment making more unusual literary news than the writers of any other country. Belongs to SeriesBelongs to Publisher SeriesDe Bezige Bij 70 ([2]) Delfinserien (14) — 20 more Gallimard, Folio (2) Lanterne (L 44) Literaire reuzenpocket (221) Le livre de poche (0406) Penguin Modern Classics (1518) Reclams Universal-Bibliothek (9169) rororo (432) Tascabili [Bompiani] (275) A tot vent (100) Is contained inThe Oxford Library of Short Novels {complete} by John Wain (indirect) Has the adaptationIs parodied inIs replied to inHas as a studyHas as a supplementHas as a commentary on the textHas as a student's study guideAwardsDistinctionsNotable Lists
When a young Algerian named Meursault kills a man, his subsequent imprisonment and trial are puzzling and absurd. The apparently amoral Meursault--who puts little stock in ideas like love and God--seems to be on trial less for his murderous actions, and more for what the authorities believe is his deficient character. No library descriptions found.
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)843.914Literature French French fiction Modern Period 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. Penguin Australia3 editions of this book were published by Penguin Australia. Editions: 0141182504, 0241950058, 0141389583 |
In The Stranger, the main character Meursault is a nihilist who believes that life has no meaning. He lives detached from the people around him and does not care about his life, family, or friends. He does not abide by society's rules or expectations. This ultimately seems not to be a choice he makes,but rather a lack of understanding on this part.
We see a transition happen throughout the novel where towards the end, Meursault is no longer indifferent towards the world's indifference. Instead, he embraces it. He realizes that regardless of what people think of him individually, even if they hate him, the human race at large is his companion because every life could turn out every way, and so they are all united even though they happened to turn out this way.
Meurault plays with the idea of human interchangeability. Yet, when he first mentions this idea at the beginning of the book, he does so in an apathetic and indifferent manner. Towards the end however, Meursault describes this passionately, as an ideal of human equality. That is because your life could have turned out any way, but it just happened to turn out this way, and therefore you must treasure it and accept it for what it is.
Aaah There is so much more to this book that I am probably missing. All in all, a powerful narrative that I will undoubtedly revisit in the future ( )