The Stranger
Albert Camus
Translated by Matthew Ward
123 pages
First published in 1942
This is a most unfortunate choice of covers (especially since it’s the edition that I own). It reminds me of the cover for Beat the Reaper, which you may recall was my least favorite cover for 2011. This is the cover for the original US edition, which is way better, in my opinion:
Also, another note on book covers…I know many of you raved about Bad Marie last year. Although I never read it, I saw the cover plenty of times. Enough times, in fact, that when our main character acquires a girlfriend by the name of Marie, I instantly visualized her as the woman from the cover of Bad Marie. Kinda strange, since I’ve never read that book, but it just goes to show how much of an impact covers can have on me.
So. The book. I have no idea what inspired me to buy this book. But it’s been hanging around for awhile, so I put it on my list for the A Classics Challenge. And about the best thing I can say is that it was short (which means it’s not even the end of January and I can say I’m making progress on my challenges!). The worst thing I can say is that Camus was a philosopher. I should’ve known better, because philosophy and I have a long history of dislike. I just don’t get it. To the point that it makes my head hurt when I try.
Where was I? Oh yeah…the book. Our narrator, Meursault, is a bit detached from the world. When the novel opens, his mother has just died. He goes to the funeral, but he’s more overwhelmed with tiredness than grief. In the days following his mother’s death, he becomes involved with Marie, and his neighbor Raymond, a mean man obsessed with beating his mistress because he believes she cheated on him.
When the mistress’s brother (they are Arab, and none of the Arabs are given names (also…did I mention this book is set in colonial Algiers?)) starts to follow them, Raymond gets a bit twitchy. Eventually there is a confrontation and Meursault ends up shooting a man. Similar to his mother’s death, he shows no emotion or remorse. And it’s this detachment and lack of emotion that results in his eventual conviction and death sentence.
Evidently there’s a lot of absurdism and maybe a touch of nihilism and existentialism reflected in the book, but if I tried to explain any of that I think my brain would explode. There’s also Meursault’s denial of God and his eventually acceptance that life just has no meaning.
Like Meursault’s lack of emotion about life, I pretty much had no emotional response to this book. While it isn’t the worst of the classics I’ve ever read (hello, Brothers K), it didn’t do much for me, other than put me to sleep (actually, I think that was the cold I was coming down with, but with 5 pages left to go, I just couldn’t keep my eyes open).
I love this one, but I first read it in high school when I’d personally adopted a very similar philosophy to Mersault’s, so I really related to it. I’ve liked it less as an adult, but I understand where it’s coming from, and that helps. It’s one of those books I’ve read three or four times in my life.
You’re a better reader than I.
I don’t recall this one making a big impact on me when I first read it, but later… in college, I remember liking it more. The details are all fuzzy now.
I’m betting the details will be fuzzy for me in just a few weeks.
I have been unable to read any Camus, despite several attempts. Very glad to know it isn’t just me! Now I’ll no longer feel guilty about failing to appreciate his writing.
Woo-hoo! I’m always glad to know I’m not the only one that just isn’t entranced by an author.
Ugh please. It is the type of book that I probably would need a professor or just someone smart to walk me through the thing, and tell me what I should be getting out of it. Otherwise that effort would be wasted. Appreciate the head’s up.
You’d need someone smarter than me, definitely!
So, my memory for books that I read is notoriously bad in regular circumstances, but I read this book for my senior-level French class in highschool and I pretty much can remember absolutely nothing about this one at all, except the opening line (which is famous) and the fact that a gun and a beach are involved at some point. I have always kind of wanted to read it again–in French, if possible–but all the things you say about why you didn’t like it (PHILOSOPHY) are reasons why I would not like it either. I do think I’d have a crazy sense of accomplishment if I did read it en français though…
You’re remembering the key scene, at least. The story isn’t tough to follow, so the French wouldn’t be that bad, I’d think. Except for the end, which is when he gets all philosophical.
I want an emotional response to a book so I’ll probably skip this one. I agree with you on that cover, though – ugh!
Yeah, what were they thinking? Oh wait…maybe it’s meant to reflect the state of my brain if I try to think too much about the book.
I typically love absurdism, but some of the other things that you mention about this book really sound as if they wouldn’t sit well with me, so I think I will probably forgo this one. I do want to read Camus one day, but it probably won’t be this one. I have heard he is very philosophical and that his books are a little hard to read, but my mind is set on reading The Plague at some point!
The reading part wasn’t bad…but the point went over my head. But his style isn’t a total drag, so the book by itself is by no means a chore to read.
Philosophy is hit and miss for me. If I like the philosophy (panopticon, Jeremy Bentham), we get along fine. If I don’t like the philosoph (Freud), it’s miserable! I have this one on my shelves, too. Or maybe it’s The Plague. Either way, some Camus. I plan to read it sometime this year for A Classics Challenge.
I hope you end up liking it more than I did! Actually, I suspect you will.
That first cover does give me a headache … just like Beat the Reaper. Your review seemed pretty similar to what I felt/remember about the book. I think there is a Cure song based on this book called Kiling An Arab. It might be worth tracking down. I’m sure it is more palatable.
The Cure? I could’ve listened to the Cure instead of reading the book?? Why didn’t you tell me this before?
Ugh, I had to read this book in junior high. Can you imagine? I don’t think I’d get it now! LOL.
Junior high? What were they thinking??
Ok so I am guessing I can cross this classic off my list of not must reads!
I read classics so you don’t have to.
This book is okay. I’ve read it three times (against my will). The first time I hated it.
3 times?? Good thing it’s short.
Wait, translated from what? As soon as you said Philosophy I thought of Brothers K. Wretched Wretched.
Translated from the French. And how ironic that one of the few French words I remember is merde. (okay, that’s a bit harsh…it wasn’t that bad.)
The part of the book I found most gripping was when the deal went down for Mersault and he starts dwelling on the finality of it all. I found his musings about the guillotine chilling since he was disgusted that one didn’t mount stairs instead it was on the same level and one walked forward as if to shake hands. The ending was unconvincing. I’m glad I finally read it.
That’s the part I had the most trouble with! Of course, that’s also when I was the sleepiest…
I remember that I had to read this in high school and did not like it. It has stuck in my memory as one of those books that was all about putting an idea forth and now that the idea is commonplace and not new, it’s basically just notable for being important at one time.
I vote for cranking the Cure and skipping the Camus
(am raising my hand as another one who’s highly influenced by covers)
I liked this book for the most part, I think in part because of the philosophy. Absurdism fascinates me for some reason. And then Meursault is so perfectly himself, completely unlikeable and unrelatable but he never strays from who is he and what he believes.