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classical_learner's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Mental illness
blaubeerkokain's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Body horror and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child death and Medical content
toffishay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The book is explicit that in a situation like this, there are no heroes. There are people hurting and healing and hurting all over again. Life is both paused and unending in a time of isolation and confinement. While not being heroes, the names characters that we do follow help connect with the world and give you something to hold onto in the midst of a huge collective event. Dr. Rieux especially won't get out of my head, but all of the characters are complex and layered. Through their inner thoughts and especially through their interactions with each other and their community, you see the tiny ways that people seek control, connection, or commiseration in the midst of death where everything, even the next day is uncertain.
What I have come to like about Camus, that I think could turn people away or be very polarizing, is that he offers a very particular brand of hope. His books, this one included, have a theme of the necessity of human hope. We are looking for distractions, but that can only get us so far and often alienate us from our true selves. Hope offers a window for something new and encourages you to fight for what matters, but hope doesn't always mean that things will be better. There will be pain again. There will be death again. All we can do is work through it and find what's worth fighting for.
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gun violence, Xenophobia, Excrement, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and War
nadir's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Terminal illness and Medical content
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Grief, and Suicide attempt
gregorvermin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Body horror and Death
Minor: Blood and Suicide attempt
1ncubus's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Body horror and Death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Blood
changbineyeskz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
kibiiiariii's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
begentile's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
margztgz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I thought that his writing was very beautiful in some parts of this, and the descriptions of emotional distancing, degeneration, and plague that the citizens experienced is eerily similar to very real experiences of the pandemic. In fact, many of his descriptions were frighteningly specific and made me tear up. Most of the characters I was not very connected to which turns me off. But alas, this is Albert Camus. It is not about connection, it's about philosophy, damn it!
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Grief