A review by desiderium_incarnate
The Stranger by Albert Camus

reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

"Well, so I'm going to die." Sooner than other people will, obviously. But everybody knows life isn't worth living. Deep down I knew perfectly well that it doesn't much matter whether you die at thirty or at seventy, since in either case other men and women will naturally go on living - and for thousands of years. In fact, nothing could be clearer. 

This book is really easy to read, which was the reason it got even 3 stars from me. I don't know why it won a Nobel Prize in Literature to be perfectly honest. Because basically these are the main points of the story: 
  • Meursaults mom dies
  • He has/shows nearly no emotions during the whole book which makes it pretty boring character wise 
  • He is convinced nothing matters (out of a very egoistical reasoning it seems) 
  • Because of this he has no trouble making friends with pretty unkind, mysoginistic people and partly supports them in hurting others
  • Then he gets a sunstroke and shoots someone
  • He is tried and found guilty and will be beheaded
I just think that if nothing matters, or at least things only matter if you attribute them meaning, why do you choose to be a dick? Kindness and empathy are real, other people have feelings, why not choose to be kind? I expected to read a different, absurdist take on 'Life is meaningless' but once again I only found sexist, racist and violent men being nihilistic. Great! 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings