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sams84's review against another edition
5.0
And so my forays into the world of philosophy continue and while I probably missed so much in this book that others with a better grounding in such things would've seen (easily I would imagine) I really enjoyed this. Well maybe enjoyed is not quite the right term given the subject matter (although as a non-humanist(!?) I did enjoy it on some level), I was more intrigued/fascinated by the story, its narrator and its characters. The narrator opens setting the scene with a few caveats on source material and the approach they are going to take in the telling of Oran, the plague that struck and the response of its people and authorities. The narrator tells this from an objective and unemotional position, keeping the story to the facts and the opinions, thoughts and feelings of others. In doing so they allow the reader to develop their own views and feelings throughout and allows them to change them at will as and when events led them so. The discussions and debates of the townspeople and their varied and differing views poses many an interesting question, not least on God and religion, mob mentality and the interlinking and differentiation of religion and humanism (I take this to mean simply giving a damn about fellow Homo sapiens). This was a rather wordy and long winded read in places but it is worth getting past that as Camus has a way of introducing philosophical quandaries without spelling them out and largely without you even realising that you are considering such things (and without the need to remember what school of thought you are covering...I always get confused by that).
sewfrench's review against another edition
4.0
Written in 1947, this is spooky how much it relates to 2020 Covid19 epidemic.
zeh's review against another edition
4.0
Bought this on a whim for $1, but it paid off. Great story full of allegories, including one that hits home (of someone who is so obsessed with details of a project, he cannot finish it).
dylan's review against another edition
3.0
I managed to finish it but I don’t think I really got it. Not the most interesting read.
crumpledjuicebox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Content Warnings
Minor: Death
jo_mentaltravels's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
EN: April started with my 2nd buddy read with my godmother, again through philosophical territory – "The Plague" (1947), by Albert Camus.
The city of Oran, Algeria, wakes up one Spring morning to find its streets with distressed, diseased rats. This will be the 1st sign of an epidemic that'll lead the city to shut its doors in quarantine. The event will prompt its people – from a local doctor, a passing traveler, an unconformed journalist, to a secret romancist – to a state of madness and suffering, compassion and discovery.
Both of us found it enlightening to dive into this story after 2020's pandemic – it was refreshing to draw parallels and differences, to analyze the characters' attitudes, to hypothetize about its themes and messages. To me, it felt like a treaty turned into a moving metaphor, filled with little moments of great feeling. The characters themselves, also, were easy to relate to. If you're looking for reflection about life and death through a fictional lense, this is a must-read.
— Jo. 🐞🍀
–#–#–#–
PT: Abril começou com a minha 2.ª leitura conjunta com a minha madrinha, mais uma vez por território filosófico – com “A Peste” (1947), de Albert Camus.
A cidade de Orão, na Argélia, acorda numa manhã de Primavera com as ruas repletas de ratos doentes e aflitos. Este é o 1.º sinal de uma epidemia que levará a cidade a fechar as suas portas, em quarentena. Toda uma cadeia de eventos levará o povo – desde um médico local, um viajante de passagem, um jornalista inconformado, a um romancista secreto – a estados de loucura e sofrimento, compaixão e descoberta.
Ambas achámos esclarecedor mergulhar nesta história após a pandemia de 2020 – foi revigorante traçar paralelismos e distinções, analisar as atitudes das personagens, formular hipóteses sobre temas e lições. Eu descreveria esta história como um tratado que se revela numa metáfora em movimento, repleta de pequenos momentos de grande comoção. Ademais, foi fácil rever-me e empatizar com as personagens. Se estão à procura de uma reflexão sobre os contornos da vida e da morte num contexto ficcional, esta é leitura obrigatória.
— Jo. 🐞🍀
The city of Oran, Algeria, wakes up one Spring morning to find its streets with distressed, diseased rats. This will be the 1st sign of an epidemic that'll lead the city to shut its doors in quarantine. The event will prompt its people – from a local doctor, a passing traveler, an unconformed journalist, to a secret romancist – to a state of madness and suffering, compassion and discovery.
Both of us found it enlightening to dive into this story after 2020's pandemic – it was refreshing to draw parallels and differences, to analyze the characters' attitudes, to hypothetize about its themes and messages. To me, it felt like a treaty turned into a moving metaphor, filled with little moments of great feeling. The characters themselves, also, were easy to relate to. If you're looking for reflection about life and death through a fictional lense, this is a must-read.
— Jo. 🐞🍀
–#–#–#–
PT: Abril começou com a minha 2.ª leitura conjunta com a minha madrinha, mais uma vez por território filosófico – com “A Peste” (1947), de Albert Camus.
A cidade de Orão, na Argélia, acorda numa manhã de Primavera com as ruas repletas de ratos doentes e aflitos. Este é o 1.º sinal de uma epidemia que levará a cidade a fechar as suas portas, em quarentena. Toda uma cadeia de eventos levará o povo – desde um médico local, um viajante de passagem, um jornalista inconformado, a um romancista secreto – a estados de loucura e sofrimento, compaixão e descoberta.
Ambas achámos esclarecedor mergulhar nesta história após a pandemia de 2020 – foi revigorante traçar paralelismos e distinções, analisar as atitudes das personagens, formular hipóteses sobre temas e lições. Eu descreveria esta história como um tratado que se revela numa metáfora em movimento, repleta de pequenos momentos de grande comoção. Ademais, foi fácil rever-me e empatizar com as personagens. Se estão à procura de uma reflexão sobre os contornos da vida e da morte num contexto ficcional, esta é leitura obrigatória.
— Jo. 🐞🍀