Author: Albert Camus
Pages:
Geemiz Rating: 4.5/5

This is my first book by Albert Camus. At first, I was hesitant to read it because I thought that, like the works of many literary laureates, it would be difficult to follow. I have started several books by Kafka and Dostoevsky, and I have yet to finish most of them. My determination comes from the desire to push myself by reading genres I am not used to, unlike my favorite Japanese literature, Korean healing fiction, historical fiction, and books about books.

Of course, it has always been a dream of mine to read books by renowned authors and immerse myself in their prose. The Stranger is just perfect. I did not find myself reaching for the dictionary too often.

My first impression after reading the first few pages was that it felt as if I were watching an Alfred Hitchcock movie. Albert Camus is really good at describing things, making me feel as though I am inside the book. The descriptions were elaborate yet easy to follow.

Actually, I find the story similar to Japanese and Korean healing fiction—stories of ordinary people, their mundane lives, and their neighborhood interactions. The difference is that instead of having a comforting vibe, it carries a melancholic tone. If Japanese and Korean healing fiction books have a warm tone, Albert Camus’s The Stranger has a black-and-white tone with more black hues.

The descriptions of people walking to and from the cinema on a Sunday feel darker. The encounters between Salamano and Meursault feel lonelier than heartwarming. Even so, you cannot help but continue reading the book.

As for the story, Monsieur Meursault was peculiar. His ways and values were unconventional, which made it easy for the prosecution to tarnish his character and for the jury, composed mostly of ordinary people, to believe them. There were many angles and testimonies that could have provided a deeper understanding of Meursault’s character, but they were not presented effectively. On top of that, the jury already seemed to have formed a judgment of the protagonist, which ultimately influenced the verdict.

If this had happened in modern times, the outcome might have been different. Society is more receptive to forensic psychology and more understanding of the complexities of a person’s character.

Quotes from The Stranger

“You can always find something to be happy about.” — Maman

“After a while, you could get used to anything.” — Maman

“I hadn’t understood how days could be very long and short at the same time: long to live through, maybe, but so drawn out that they ended up flowing into one another. They lost their names. Only the words ‘yesterday’ and ‘tomorrow’ still had meaning for me.” — Monsieur Meursault

About The Stranger

Published in 1942 by French author Albert Camus, The Stranger has long been considered a classic of twentieth-century literature. Le Monde ranked it number one on its “100 Books of the Century” list. Through the story of an ordinary man unwittingly drawn into a senseless murder on a sun-drenched Algerian beach, Camus explores what he termed “the nakedness of man faced with the absurd.”

I originally wrote these notes as a journal for my personal consumption. Over time, I realized that my thoughts are better shared with the outside world and with readers like you. I would appreciate it if you could leave your comments and do the same.

Together, let’s make the world a little better by reading one book at a time. 😊

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