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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
clstrifes'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Mass/school shootings
woundedhouse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic
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
mia7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Medical content
Minor: Animal death, Gore, and Death of parent
schwambibambi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Though I think this was the right time to read this book, you know since COVID is the a thing after 2 years. The growing apathy you developed over the months of lockdown and no social interaction was exactly how I felt these past years, so that was great. I hope our pandemic ends soon and we can have the kinds of reunion like the people of Oran had in the end. The fear that it'll come back stays though.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Blood
thevampiremars'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and Colonisation
burnt_amber89's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
From what I read, this book is also a metaphor for WWII, and some passages are all the more poignant when you keep this in mind. Very interesting and thought-provoking book that I would recommend, especially if you have the opportunity to read it in French since Camus' writing is exquisite.
A regrettable lack of female protagonists is notable, however.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt