1st out of 55 books
—
4 voters
L’étranger
by
Albert Camus
Quand la sonnerie a encore retenti, que la porte du box s'est ouverte, c'est le silence de la salle qui est monté vers moi, le silence, et cette singulière sensation que j'ai eue lorsque j'ai constaté que le jeune journaliste avait détourné les eux. Je n'ai pas regardé du côté du Marie. Je n'en ai pas eu le temps parce que la président m'a dit dans une forme bizarre que j'...more
Mass Market Paperback, 186 pages
Published
March 2nd 2000
by Folio
(first published 1942)
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I don’t know what to do with these stars anymore. I give stars to books and then I think, ‘god, you give five stars to everything, people will think you are terribly undiscriminating’ – so then I give four stars or even three stars to some books. Then I look back and it turns out that that I’ve given four stars to Of Human Bondage and honestly, how could I possibly have thought it was a good idea to give that book less than five stars? It is the absurdity of human conventions that has us doing s...more

A young man, who finds himself in a serious relationship and a potentially lucrative job, both of which are moving along faster than he likes, shoots an Arab and goes to prison. This is the first fifty pages of the book; the second half takes us through a ring circus of a trial as various people try to explain away the young man’s actions and character flaws so that his situation doesn’t upset their nice, neat world views. But the young man does not relent.
This is Albert Camus’ The Stranger, a...more
I was so amped about this book when I tore through it a few weeks ago; alas, in that yawning chasm of time between then and when I first sat down to start this review (as opposed to this most recent effort -- I think at least my fourth?), I found that I’d forgotten a lot of the specific reasons why it had hit all the right spots for me.
Fortunately, since Goodreads has instilled in me the need to take notes on, emphatically underline passages from and analyze the pants off every book I read thes...more
Fortunately, since Goodreads has instilled in me the need to take notes on, emphatically underline passages from and analyze the pants off every book I read thes...more
If every few words of praise I’ve seen for “The Stranger” over my lifetime materialized into small chunks of rock in space, there’d be enough sh!t to conjure up the Oort Cloud. Much like this distant collection of debris bordering the outer solar system, I can’t really comprehend the acclaim heaped on this story, but luckily, like the Cloud, it’s usually out of sight, out of mind, and has absolutely no discernable current influence on my life. And just like the Oort can occasionally spit a chunk...more
The book is simply written and a rather quick read, but the depth Camus manages to convey through this simplicity is astounding. I think a problem a lot of people have with this book is that they fail to look beyond the whole "what is the meaning of life" message. While an interesting question, the book raises so many other philosophical questions beyond this. What I found the most interesting of these is "what truly defines humanity or makes someone human?" During Meursault's trial, he is const...more
If You Exist
"The Stranger" dramatises the issues at the heart of existentialism.
The same issues are probably at the heart of life, whether or not you believe in a god.
Being Judged
It's interesting that there has been a crime and now Meursault is being "judged".
The judgement is symbolic not only of the justice system, but of God's judgement of humanity.
Defending Yourself
You would normally expect the defendant to assert their innocence or plead not guilty in the criminal justice system (cue Law and...more
"The Stranger" dramatises the issues at the heart of existentialism.
The same issues are probably at the heart of life, whether or not you believe in a god.
Being Judged
It's interesting that there has been a crime and now Meursault is being "judged".
The judgement is symbolic not only of the justice system, but of God's judgement of humanity.
Defending Yourself
You would normally expect the defendant to assert their innocence or plead not guilty in the criminal justice system (cue Law and...more
The Stranger is considered by many to be one of the most important philosophical novels of the 20th Century. In most college courses on Existentialism (a philosophy which holds that human beings create the meaning and essence of their own lives) The Stranger is usually the first thing you will read. If you're interested in philosophy, or Existentialism specifically, The Stranger is a great place to start.
Camus describes Meursault, the main character, only sparingly; and for the majority of the n...more
Camus describes Meursault, the main character, only sparingly; and for the majority of the n...more
Jun 22, 2007
Kelly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
those interested in philosophy
I read this because I felt like it was just One of Those Books You Had To Get To. It was worth it, though! It is fascinating, and I had no problem finishing it. It wasn't so much engaging as it was intellectually stimulating. I had no problem putting it down and forgetting about it, but I eventually came back to it. I did prefer the Fall to this one, which I'm sure many people would disagree with. But after awhile the sheer distance and isolation started to wear on me.
If I am to believe Urban Dictionary (and why wouldn't I?) the book is summarized rather well by its definition:
1. To lay on one's arm so as to deny the passage of blood and ultimately loose feeling in the limb, followed by the act of masturbation with said limb.
2. Sitting on your hand until it falls asleep and then jerking off, eliciting the feeling of a hand job from someone else.
3. A masturbation technique which the user commences by sitting on their hands until they go numb and as a result ca...more
1. To lay on one's arm so as to deny the passage of blood and ultimately loose feeling in the limb, followed by the act of masturbation with said limb.
2. Sitting on your hand until it falls asleep and then jerking off, eliciting the feeling of a hand job from someone else.
3. A masturbation technique which the user commences by sitting on their hands until they go numb and as a result ca...more
Writing about your favourite and the most influential single book of your life—not that that means anything—is a little like staring into the sun, the same sun here in an Australian suburb as that of an Algerian beach: so I shall squint, if you don’t mind.
Firstly, Sandra Smith’s work is excellent. I have read all four English translations of L’Étranger that I am aware of (Stuart Gilbert, Joseph Laredo, and Matthew Ward being the other three. If you know of another, please let me know…) at least...more
Firstly, Sandra Smith’s work is excellent. I have read all four English translations of L’Étranger that I am aware of (Stuart Gilbert, Joseph Laredo, and Matthew Ward being the other three. If you know of another, please let me know…) at least...more
Nov 29, 2007
Mariel
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Robert Smith not good enough for you?
Recommended to Mariel by:
Robert Smith of The Cure. I am not making this up
Last night I awoke to find my soul empty.
The narrator, Meursault, is a fascinating character in that he has an incredible sense of material resignation about him. He absolutely rejects all concepts of importance to the absurd trivialities of life while at the same time living with such simple pleasure that one can't help but smirk reading the descriptions in the first half of the book.
His indifference to the way he is perceived leads him to a very level-headed but unsympathetic countenance regarding his friends and acquaintances. The...more
His indifference to the way he is perceived leads him to a very level-headed but unsympathetic countenance regarding his friends and acquaintances. The...more
I remember loving this book as a teenager, and re-reading it this week, I have felt the same. Meursault is one of the most fascinating characters I've ever read, and at the same time I've always felt a certain kinship to him. Why isn't it okay to not care as deeply, or in the same way, as others, especially on the subjects of love and death? Is there any possible connection we can have with the feelings of another? How would we ever know if we were talking about the same thing? His reactions to...more
قصة أورد فيها رؤيته ومشكلته الوجودية .. شخص لا يبالي , بلا إحساس وذلك يخرج من منطلق أن ( القضية منتهية .. إن ذلك لا يهم .. لن أؤمن ) ففي كل الحالات سأموت
لا أعرف إذا بعد كل هذا علاقة الراوي الكبيرة بالطبيعة , الرغبة , ونوعا ما الحياة
سرد طريف مفعم بالجمال .. وشخصية غريبة بفلسفتها وبا للامبالاة حتى في الظروف الصعبة .. لم يكن فيها إبداع عالي ولكن صورة جذابة و رؤية فكرية
كامو ... ممتع
لا أعرف إذا بعد كل هذا علاقة الراوي الكبيرة بالطبيعة , الرغبة , ونوعا ما الحياة
سرد طريف مفعم بالجمال .. وشخصية غريبة بفلسفتها وبا للامبالاة حتى في الظروف الصعبة .. لم يكن فيها إبداع عالي ولكن صورة جذابة و رؤية فكرية
كامو ... ممتع
Dec 01, 2011
Stephen M
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
3-cheers-4-complex-characters
Laife iz absurd..... lolz jk!!!!
plus
How cool is existentialism?


This is no coincidence!
plus
How cool is existentialism?


This is no coincidence!
يُنهي ألبير كامي رائعته الغريبه
بجمله" في ذلك الليل الذي يفيض بالنجوم احسستُ للمره الأولى بعذوبة ورقة اللامبالاه ، واحسسست اني كُنت سعيداً في يومٍ من الأيام ، ومازلت حتى الأن اتمنى ان ينتهي كل شىء ، واتمنى ان اكون هناك اقل وحده من هنا"...متعه يا سيدى
هكذا ، بعد تجاربي مع البير كامي من قبل في الطاعون و سوء التفاهم وكاليجولا اختم اعماله بأهمها على الأطلاق ( الغريب ) الاهم
في البدايه تشعر بجو غريب في الروايه كأنها رتيبه او ممله ، او كأن الكاتب لا يهتم بإثارة اهتمام القراء لا يهتم بحيازة تعاطف القارئ...more
بجمله" في ذلك الليل الذي يفيض بالنجوم احسستُ للمره الأولى بعذوبة ورقة اللامبالاه ، واحسسست اني كُنت سعيداً في يومٍ من الأيام ، ومازلت حتى الأن اتمنى ان ينتهي كل شىء ، واتمنى ان اكون هناك اقل وحده من هنا"...متعه يا سيدى
هكذا ، بعد تجاربي مع البير كامي من قبل في الطاعون و سوء التفاهم وكاليجولا اختم اعماله بأهمها على الأطلاق ( الغريب ) الاهم
في البدايه تشعر بجو غريب في الروايه كأنها رتيبه او ممله ، او كأن الكاتب لا يهتم بإثارة اهتمام القراء لا يهتم بحيازة تعاطف القارئ...more
Alright, so after some thought I'm finally ready to consolidate my thoughts on this novel.
This books follows the character Meursault and shows us his perverse and somehow refreshing outlook on life. He is completely disinterested in things that social life revolves around like marriage, elevations of status, etc... in essence he is the ultimate nonchalant bum. His life is hollow but he is utterly unconcerned with this and goes on quietly existing in the most comfortable way possible.
His is a ni...more
This books follows the character Meursault and shows us his perverse and somehow refreshing outlook on life. He is completely disinterested in things that social life revolves around like marriage, elevations of status, etc... in essence he is the ultimate nonchalant bum. His life is hollow but he is utterly unconcerned with this and goes on quietly existing in the most comfortable way possible.
His is a ni...more
...AT WHICH POINT [P] CREATES A CHARACTER AS A STAND-IN FOR HIMSELF...
Meet Lucas Willen, the existentialist:
'What are you thinking?' The question that he is most often asked, and which is, not always, but usually, merely a way for the speaker to fill time, to avoid the burden of time with a capital T, the kind of time that silence makes most apparent. 'What are you thinking?' most often really means 'say something,' which, in turn, really means 'don’t abandon me to myself and my own thoughts, to...more
Meet Lucas Willen, the existentialist:
'What are you thinking?' The question that he is most often asked, and which is, not always, but usually, merely a way for the speaker to fill time, to avoid the burden of time with a capital T, the kind of time that silence makes most apparent. 'What are you thinking?' most often really means 'say something,' which, in turn, really means 'don’t abandon me to myself and my own thoughts, to...more
Dec 16, 2008
Jeanette
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
classics,
all-fiction
I think the "meat" of this book, and what made it a classic, is mostly contained in the final chapter. That's where Camus showed himself for the philosopher that he was. I wasn't wowed by this book, but it was interesting to read. The main character is likable enough to the people around him, but he drove me nuts because he is so passive! He just says, "Yeah, okay" to whatever anyone proposes. He has also never learned the art of dissembling, so he causes trouble for himself by always saying the...more
this story seems very ambiguous the first part of story is so clear it doesn't matter who/what/where/why/ are only what you care about world around us peoples this whole circle of nonsense hopeless situation only absurd again again again but what responds to it ? i will read more about it in order to find the answer and to clarify this damn(wonderful) everyday living experience what does it means to be a stranger (there is a Sartre's critical article about Camus stranger which i have read but i...more
Oct 14, 2012
Alex
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
reading-through-history,
2012
"If something is going to happen, I want to be there," (113) says the narrator of "The Stranger," but he hasn't been there through most of the book. The Arab isn't the Stranger in question; the narrator is. And even in this late, apparent declaration of consciousness, he hasn't really appeared.
Henry Miller did a terrible job of encapsulating the same feel, pre-WWII, that everything in life was up for grabs and it was all meaningless and terrifying. Camus' simple sentences might remind you instea...more
Henry Miller did a terrible job of encapsulating the same feel, pre-WWII, that everything in life was up for grabs and it was all meaningless and terrifying. Camus' simple sentences might remind you instea...more
I actually read this book in July, so this is already a very late review. I didn't know how to review it then. This is already the second time that I've read this. It's not that I love it. I'm not even sure if I like it. For some reason, I failed to appreciate it. So I don't understand why many people consider it to be a classic.
But it's a profound book, I think. The story is very interesting, from my point of view as a Christian.
It's an existentialist novel. The main character is Meursault. He...more
But it's a profound book, I think. The story is very interesting, from my point of view as a Christian.
It's an existentialist novel. The main character is Meursault. He...more
Apr 03, 2008
Davide di Cagno-Hagen
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to Davide by:
My Mom
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I started this book, finally, understanding that it was an example of existentialist philosophy but knowing little else. I began reading and immediately felt lost in the randomness of it all, in the detailed descriptions of settings and the truncated passages dealing with human exchanges. It was like I was a pinball, being randomly thrown about, much like the protaganist (though he had more input than he would likely admit). I finally had my lightbulb moment, realized that this was the point, an...more
این کتاب داستان یک مرد درونگرا به نام مرسو را تعریف میکند که مرتکب قتلی میشود و در سلول زندان در انتظار اعدام خویش است. داستان در دههٔ ۳۰ در الجزایر رخ میدهد.
داستان به دو قسمت تقسیم میشود. در قسمت اول مرسو در مراسم تدفین مادرش شرکت میکند و در عین حال هیچ تاثر و احساس خاصی از خود نشان نمیدهد. داستان با ترسیم روزهای بعد از دید شخصیت اصلی داستان ادامه مییابد. مرسو به عنوان انسانی بدون هیچ اراده به پیشرفت در زندگی ترسیم میشود. او هیچ رابطهٔ احساسی بین خود و افراد دیگر برقرار نمیکند و در بی...more
داستان به دو قسمت تقسیم میشود. در قسمت اول مرسو در مراسم تدفین مادرش شرکت میکند و در عین حال هیچ تاثر و احساس خاصی از خود نشان نمیدهد. داستان با ترسیم روزهای بعد از دید شخصیت اصلی داستان ادامه مییابد. مرسو به عنوان انسانی بدون هیچ اراده به پیشرفت در زندگی ترسیم میشود. او هیچ رابطهٔ احساسی بین خود و افراد دیگر برقرار نمیکند و در بی...more
Jul 24, 2007
Jonathan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
life_and_other_atrocities
Je ne l’avais jamais lu, mais j’en avais entendu parler. Je l’ai donc découvert avec une forte attente, et je n’ai pas été déçu. Je me contenterai ici de rapporter le commentaire de Camus lui-même qui fit la préface d’une édition universitaire américaine de ce roman. J’ai adoré. C’est peu de le dire.
"J’ai résumé L’ Étranger, il y a longtemps, par une phrase dont je reconnais qu’elle est très paradoxale : ’Dans notre société tout homme qui ne pleure pas à l’enterrement de sa mère risque d’être c...more
"J’ai résumé L’ Étranger, il y a longtemps, par une phrase dont je reconnais qu’elle est très paradoxale : ’Dans notre société tout homme qui ne pleure pas à l’enterrement de sa mère risque d’être c...more
Jun 04, 2007
Rebecca
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
grown-ups
Shelves:
thingsilove
Albert Camus, the French Algerian author of this book, as well as two of my favorite collections of humanist essays, "Resistance Rebellion and Death," and "The Myth of Sisyphus," was one of the great novelists of the 20th century. This book, relatively short and quick reading for as much as it tells and does, is a complex psychological portrait of a killer. But Marceaux is not a weird, twisted, evil killer, but a killer whose major failing is his inability to recognize the humanity, or even the...more
Jul 03, 2007
AJ Griffin
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who wants to feel deep and troubled and needs a vehicle to express it
Yeah yeah, I liked this book just like everyone else.
Unfortunately, this was one of three assigned to our AP class for summer reading one year, and the inspiration for everydimwitteddogooder"ihaveasensitiveside" asshole in my grade to suddenly "discover" the concept of existentialism.
Suddenly, having nothing better to worry about besides the utter pointlessness and/or meaning of life was the hippest thing since Capri Sun. The phrase "I'm a big fan of existentialism" was being tossed around with...more
Unfortunately, this was one of three assigned to our AP class for summer reading one year, and the inspiration for everydimwitteddogooder"ihaveasensitiveside" asshole in my grade to suddenly "discover" the concept of existentialism.
Suddenly, having nothing better to worry about besides the utter pointlessness and/or meaning of life was the hippest thing since Capri Sun. The phrase "I'm a big fan of existentialism" was being tossed around with...more
Feb 05, 2011
Banan
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
classics,
short-stories
لأنَّها حائزة على نوبل خمنت أنَّها ستستقبلني بدهشةٍ فارعة , ولم يحصل . كانت القصَّة موجودة , أمَّا السرد فكان تالفاً في مواضع منه- الفصول الأولى بالذَّات , فالإسراف في وضع " و " للربط بين الجمل كان قد بدّّد رغبتي في القراءة في كثيرٍ من اللحظات , وجعل نبرة الرواية تبدو وكأنَّها لاهثة سريعة لا نيَّة لها أبداً في التوقُّف , وهذا بالتأكيد ممَّا ينعكس على القاريء محولاً قراءته لوضع : هاي سبيد !
أعتقد أنَّ خيط الخطأ هنا يعود أثره للمُترجم , إذ كانت الترجمة ركيكةً للغاية , و كل ما أذكره من السرد اقتصر ع...more
أعتقد أنَّ خيط الخطأ هنا يعود أثره للمُترجم , إذ كانت الترجمة ركيكةً للغاية , و كل ما أذكره من السرد اقتصر ع...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How did you like Mersault? | 12 | 146 | May 13, 2013 09:53am | |
| great novel | 24 | 171 | Apr 06, 2013 01:42pm | |
| The Bookhouse Boys: The Stranger discussion | 49 | 22 | Mar 28, 2013 04:59pm | |
| Literature & ...: Death | 1 | 8 | Feb 15, 2013 05:29am | |
| Literature & ...: Death | 1 | 1 | Feb 15, 2013 05:29am | |
| 2013 Reading Chal...: Kai & Kelsi: The Stranger by Albert Camus | 13 | 58 | Jan 09, 2013 09:21am |
Albert Camus was an Algerian-born French author, philosopher, and journalist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957. He is often cited as a proponent of existentialism (the philosophy that he was associated with during his own lifetime), but Camus himself rejected this particular label. Specifically, his views contributed to the rise of the more current philosophy known as absurdis...more
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“I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world.”
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563 people liked it
“I may not have been sure about what really did interest me, but I was absolutely sure about what didn't.”
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