☯Emily ’s Comments (group member since Jul 27, 2011)

☯Emily ’s comments from the Classics for Beginners group.

Holls wrote: "One other thing I notice from that Smithsonian article is that it quotes an essay written by Camus in 1936:

my own town on the shores of the Mediterranean... the summer evenings that I love so muc..."

Perhaps, there is a green light at dusk in Algeria that represents the peace and calmness of a day passing away. I feel that way about sunrises and sunsets.

I got the book out, but I don't know if I will read it any time soon. I have four books to finish by the end of the year.

Thanks Nina!

Heather L wrote: "Met my goal of 10 last week with completion of The Stranger."

Congratulations!

This will be read over a two month period, so there won't be a nomination thread for February.

It looks like I will have to leave Goodreads because I am not getting any email notifications. I also constantly need to verify my email. In fact, I can't even begin a new thread or start a new topic because GR is no longer accepting my email address. I have tried to verify my email constantly for a week. Worst of all, I have sent 15+ emails to support, including Otis, the head honcho, and have gotten no reply in more than five days.

I will give GR's another day and then I will cancel my account. This should not affect the group since I did not create the group. If anyone wants to contact Support on my behalf, I would appreciate it.

I'll update everyone tomorrow.

Heather L wrote: "Finished last week. Good writing, but not sure what I think of it. It is ridiculous how the outcome of the trial is based entirely on his reaction to his mother's death, not on what he actually did..."

I agree. I was also troubled by the fact that no one was really concerned about the dead Arab. Meursault wasn't convicted because he killed someone, but because he didn't seem to mourn his mother's death.

Heather L wrote: "I hope we will be reading it over more than one month, seeing as it is over 800 pages long."

I didn't realize it was that long! I'll discuss it with the other moderators, but it will probably be read over two months.

Squire wrote: "Well, The Faerie Queene isn't going to fit into my schedule this year. (Things always seem to get hectic around Nov/Dec.) So my final classic will be a book I've read, but need to give a second try..."

Wish you happiness reading The Catcher in the Rye. I read it a few years ago and hated it.

Yes, it is January!

This is an interesting discussion on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

AND THE WINNER IS...An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser.

This book won after a well-fought battle. Kirsten, are you still up for leading the discussion?

Can you post them a bit in advance so we can prepare our reading/nominations?

That's an idea. I'm not sure any of the moderators have decided that yet, but we will consider it.

Welcome Michelle. We are currently reading The Stranger by Albert Camus. It is short and easy to read, which might make it an enjoyable way to resume your interest in the classics.

Looks like it!

Myst wrote: "This may not be a popular idea, but why not once a year have a re-read month, where nominations are from previously read books.

Perhaps restrict the re-read to 2011/2012 books only so it's been 4-..."

I added this to the theme thread.

This is the link to the history of Aspergers. It was discovered by a German before and during World War II. However, it was not officially diagnosed until the late 1980's and early 1990's. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History...

Skeetor wrote: "What you have in the first thread is interesting. I looked up and
Asperger's syndrome was first "discovered" in the 1940s and the book was published in '42. Perhaps Camus did suffer from it but I ..."

Wow! That was a great article. Amazing that others have read the book and came to the same conclusion. I thought I was proposing an original analysis.

Skeetor wrote: "I agree it was absurd to worry about how he reacted at his mom's funeral but I don't think that excuses him from murdering the Arab whether it was premeditated or not.
I came away from the story co..."

I give a different assessment of Meursault in the first thread.

As I read this first half of the book, Meursault's isolation and his inability to understand and communicate his emotions reminded me of my son who has Aspergers. I'm not sure that Meursault is able to understand himself. He doesn't seem to want to be isolated from others but doesn't have the skills to communicated clearly.

Another related problem is a condition called sensory processing disorder. One symptom is hypersensitivity to visual input which is characterized by
__ sensitive to bright lights; will squint, cover eyes, cry and/or get headaches from the light
__ has difficulty keeping eyes focused on task/activity he/she is working on for an appropriate amount of time
__ easily distracted by other visual stimuli in the room; i.e., movement, decorations, toys, windows, doorways etc.
__ has difficulty in bright colorful rooms or a dimly lit room
__ rubs his/her eyes, has watery eyes or gets headaches after reading or watching TV
__ avoids eye contact
__ enjoys playing in the dark

This was Meursault's feelings during the funeral procession: "the glare from the sun was unbearable...I felt a little lost between the the blue and white of the sky and monotony of the colors around me. All of it - the sun, the smell of leather and horse dung from the hearse the smell of vanish and incense, and my fatigue after a night without sleep - was making it hard for me to see or think straight."

(view spoiler)[Right before he kills the Arab, he again talks about the light and the sun. "There was the same dazzling red glare." He "strained every nerve in order to overcome the sun." "With every blade of light that flashed off the sand, from a bleached shell or a piece of broken glass, my jaws tightened." "The sun was the same as it had been the day I'd buried Maman..." and "All I could feel were the cymbals of sunlight crashing on my forehead," etc. Last, the only explanation, Meursault could give for the murder was that it happened "because of the sun." (hide spoiler)]

So if Meursault were on trial today for murder, he might use extenuating circumstances to avoid the death penalty.