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linashnewer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child death and Death
Minor: Gun violence and Colonisation
miriam0102's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt
booktok_hater's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Medical content
Moderate: Suicide and Mass/school shootings
applesodaperson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Honestly the worst part about this book were the characters. I honestly don't know why, but I had an extremely hard time remembering the characters and their names and who was who. Really the only person that stuck in my mind was the doctor, but even now I cannot for the life of me remember his name. I think one thing that contributed to this was the fact that basically every character and especially the main character, was a middle aged man. Yeah this book definitely does not pass that Bechtel test. But it also just led to the characters blurring together, especially with them all being in the same situation and physical location. It just wouldn't stick in my mind, even though this book is fairly long.
Overall, this book was good, and had some interesting philosophical thoughts about evil and sin. But it just ended up not catching my attention very well, and feeling forgettable.
Moderate: Animal death and Death
bilbili's review against another edition
- 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? No
3.75
Kinda long but I feel like it was worth it
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
ghost_rider's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Medical content
Moderate: Suicide attempt
skypirateb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Child death and Death
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
musicalpopcorn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Chronic illness and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Death, Gore, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Colonisation
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