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bessadams's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
ryuutsu's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I honestly don't know what to make of this book. As a big fan of Camus' absurdism philosophy, I was really interested in what this book might be like. My conclusion is that this might be one of the strangest things I've read, but in a way oddly human because of it. I can't decide if I loved it or hated it, therefore leaving it at 3 stars. One thing is for sure though, it stuck in my mind and made me contemplate its implications and, especially, the lack thereof. Which might be exactly the point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Violence, and Grief
jkononova's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I found this book to be relatively underwhelming, relative to my high expectations sourcing from its status as a classic. While reading this story, I spent most of my time enjoying the prose while simultaneously wondering what all of the various details and descriptions were leading up to. Though I guess the sense of underwhelm and pointlessness may well be part of the described philosophy, so fair play to the author haha.
An angle I’ve found quite interesting is looking at this story through the lens of neurodivergence specifically. Meursault's continuous failure to conform to society’s expectations is a large part of why he is sentenced to death; the prosecutor’s claim that he was responsible for his mother’s death as well as the unrelated case of parricide was a wild one, and one that would’ve been entirely avoided if he had looked a bit sadder, chosen to see a sadder movie, and cried at the right times in front of the right people. While this man is called monstrous for a lack of this innate quality, these accusations are more a result of failing to engage in various social pretenses, and he was all in all not a menace to society outside of this one incident. Having just read East of Eden, I additionally found it interesting to consider Steinbeck’s perspective on Kate in contrast to society’s treatment of this story’s protagonist.
As an aside, I want to note that Camus' absurdist view on life likely isn't as revolutionary to me as when this work were first published; I feel like I've had too much exposure to this kind of philosophy at this point in my life to be truly changed or fascinated by it in the way I had anticipated, but others might find this to be a transformative read. Despite this not being a massive standout, the last few pages (the last two, in the edition I read) are marvelous, in my opinion, and I will be coming back to reread those specifically.
An angle I’ve found quite interesting is looking at this story through the lens of neurodivergence specifically. Meursault's continuous failure to conform to society’s expectations is a large part of why he is sentenced to death; the prosecutor’s claim that he was responsible for his mother’s death as well as the unrelated case of parricide was a wild one, and one that would’ve been entirely avoided if he had looked a bit sadder, chosen to see a sadder movie, and cried at the right times in front of the right people. While this man is called monstrous for a lack of this innate quality, these accusations are more a result of failing to engage in various social pretenses, and he was all in all not a menace to society outside of this one incident. Having just read East of Eden, I additionally found it interesting to consider Steinbeck’s perspective on Kate in contrast to society’s treatment of this story’s protagonist.
As an aside, I want to note that Camus' absurdist view on life likely isn't as revolutionary to me as when this work were first published; I feel like I've had too much exposure to this kind of philosophy at this point in my life to be truly changed or fascinated by it in the way I had anticipated, but others might find this to be a transformative read. Despite this not being a massive standout, the last few pages (the last two, in the edition I read) are marvelous, in my opinion, and I will be coming back to reread those specifically.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty
flying_saucers's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Xenophobia
melchior's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Blood, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Toxic friendship
h0neybear's review against another edition
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wouldn’t expect a book like this to be so damn entertaining but it really is. Mersault’s narration is interesting and at times funny and it certainly keeps a reader hooked.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol
bug5slug5andbook5's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book is perfectly written, the roller coaster of feelings you as a reader have towards the narrator is what makes this. I find the philosophy is important as well, even if you don’t agree with it, it provides a deep dive into the minds of many and a powerful insight to all minds.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder
cutepatzie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
It's a very surprising book. It shows how perspective can change every faith. I was so surprised by how much I like this book. Amazing description of places. Very reflective book. Love how much your perspective change from the beginning to the end of the book. Solid read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
house_of_hannah's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I appreciate how simply this is written. It suited the main character's train of thought, and how surface level he is. However, Meursault is quite a boring person. I read several analyses of this novella, and all of them discuss how Meursault lives an absurdist life, yet he goes along with what the people around him are doing, which feels like a mask to appear more "normal". I don't believe his friends and girlfriend would have liked him as much if he didn't follow along their every whim like he did. To me he just seemed like a detached person who is simply floating through life.
The court room scene....I could not stand how much his mother was brought up here. Putting her somewhere she can be happy is bad ? Wtf ? Apparently people aren't allowed to grieve differently either. Since he wasn't crying he was obviously planning murder instead, right !? It was such a stretch, and really reminded me how in high profile true crime cases pictures of the suspect at the funeral of the victim(s) are always analyzed to death. I know this scene was supposed to be a bit ridiculous, but man did it get me.
I feel like this absurdism that everyone is talking about truly shows up in the second half of the story during the trial. The prosecutor has a certain view of Meursault, and then forces the narrative to support it. This is something that happens in real cases all the time, and is how innocent people end up incarcerated, so it actually felt quite "true to life". However, the difference here is that Meursault is guilty regardless, and it's more his character that is being judged than anything.
I think this second half is where the story really shines. Being judged on the perception of who you are, without being able to defend yourself, is terrifying. Meursault's indifference to the world ended up being his downfall, with the one instance of him acting on his own being the trigger. I know Philosphy is the main subject brought up in discussions of this book, but I'm more interested in the Psychology.
After finishing this novella I went down the Wikipedia rabbit hole about the Algerian War, and learned more about the dark side of French history. I definitely thank this book for that, as it's not a subject I really knew anything about. Overall, I did enjoy reading this story, but I feel I'm just not intellectual enough to truly understand it.
I feel like this absurdism that everyone is talking about truly shows up in the second half of the story during the trial. The prosecutor has a certain view of Meursault, and then forces the narrative to support it. This is something that happens in real cases all the time, and is how innocent people end up incarcerated, so it actually felt quite "true to life". However, the difference here is that Meursault is guilty regardless, and it's more his character that is being judged than anything.
I think this second half is where the story really shines. Being judged on the perception of who you are, without being able to defend yourself, is terrifying. Meursault's indifference to the world ended up being his downfall, with the one instance of him acting on his own being the trigger. I know Philosphy is the main subject brought up in discussions of this book, but I'm more interested in the Psychology.
After finishing this novella I went down the Wikipedia rabbit hole about the Algerian War, and learned more about the dark side of French history. I definitely thank this book for that, as it's not a subject I really knew anything about. Overall, I did enjoy reading this story, but I feel I'm just not intellectual enough to truly understand it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Grief
jana16's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Vomit, Islamophobia, Grief, and Alcohol