I would recommend this book to anyone who’s angsty and wants to spend a few hours thinking about what the meaning of life is, anyone who harbors a secret dread that ultimately nothing and no one will matter, or anyone who wants to read a seminal novel that has impacted an entire branch of philosophy. I enjoyed thinking about absurdism (a branch of existentialism, discussed below) and Meursault’s odd character stuck in my mind. The prose was concise and punchy (perhaps to drive home further that extra fluff and illustrations are simply not necessary), so reading it took no more than a few hours.
Hours before his execution, Meursault reaches an enlightenment about his situation and faces his sentence with peace. They convince the jury of his guilt and sentence him with the death penalty. The prosecution goes to lengths to portray Meursault as a cold-hearted murderer. At the trial, the prosecution summons every single one of his friends and acquaintances. He’s imprisoned for almost a year before he goes on trial. Part 2 of the Stranger follows Meursault after the murder.
The conflict escalates for no particular reason, and Meursault ends up murdering a man. Meursault agrees because “he doesn’t have any reason not to”. One day, Raymond asks for Meursault’s help in a conflict involving Raymond’s ex-lover. They include: Salamano, an old man who tirelessly and pointlessly beats his dog every day Marie, Meursault’s lover who is inexplicably attracted to his oddities and Raymond, a neighbor who is violent and emotional. He is indifferent in most aspects of his life, aspects that most “normal” people care about: how long his mother had been dead for, how old she was.Īfter Meursault returns home from the funeral, we’re introduced to the small cast of characters in his life. Part 1 opens with Meursault, the protagonist (anti-protagonist?) of The Stranger, as he attends his mother’s funeral. Let’s be honest: even if you love life way more than you hate it, it’s still difficult not to occasionally wonder what the point of everything is (or is that just me?).īelow, you’ll find a summary and a few of my thoughts on The Stranger and the novel’s themes. I suspect that many people who read - and who enjoy - The Stranger find the novel’s protagonist Meursault and his uninviting view of human life and society more palatable than they’d like to admit.
If you don’t know what you’re doing in life and you just want to know what the point of it all is, then you might really enjoy The Stranger, a novel written by French author and philosopher Albert Camus. Melissa Du, Mon Back Albert Camus, The Stranger - Summary and Book Notes
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