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From the Bookshelf of Classics for Beginners…

The Stranger

Albert Camus

Start date: November 1, 2016

Finish date: November 30, 2016

Discussion: Current Group Read

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The Prince
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last updated Jun 08, 2019 03:47PM

April 2019: The Crucible
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last updated May 09, 2019 05:21AM

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What Members Thought

Mar 23, 2009 Danielle The Book Huntress rated it did not like it

Shelves: required-reading, did-not-like, classic

I thought this book was a waste of time about a guy who was wasting his existence. I guess I wouldn't make a very good existentialist. ...more

129 likes · Like · see review

May 30, 2008 Cecily rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classics, autism-maybe

A short, first person tale of a 20-something clerk, who probably has undiagnosed Asperger's.

He describes his life and the people in it with analytical detachment, even when on trial for a pointless murder. He's a stranger to his closest family, though not perhaps to himself. The death of his mother (whose age he can't even remember) is more of an inconvenience than reason for grieving.

Likened by some to Kafka, and there are some similarities, but it is a much more conventional style of story. ...more

85 likes · Like · see review

Jun 28, 2011 Dante rated it it was ok

Shelves: fiction, imaginative-lit, novel, prose, existentialism

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 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 sees life as basically absurd. The novel opens with the news of his mother's death. But for him, it doesn't really mean anything. He has a significant other, Marie, and apparently she loves him. She even asks him if he'd want to marry her. But he says that it doesn't really make any difference!

I find the story very interesting because Meursault is an atheist. I think that's significant because your beliefs or worldview really has an influence on how you interpret the things around you. I think Meursault is just being honest. That's just the logical outworking of atheism, I think. If God does not exist, life is basically absurd. Life has no ultimate meaning, value and purpose, because everything ends at the grave. It wouldn't matter if you lived a saintly life or a sinful one, because there's no life beyond the grave and hence no accountability.

Therefore, for Meursault, there's no meaning to his mother's death, and there's no difference between his marrying Marie or not. It seems that there's really no such thing as "love" in an atheistic universe. There are only feelings, impulses and desires, all of which are unpredictable and temporary.

I like Marie. She's very lovable; she's very carefree and simple. It's just very unfortunate that he meets a man like Meursault.

I am moved by the scene where Salamano cries for his lost old friend, his dog.

I didn't like the priest character very much. He had a chance of consoling Meursault, of listening to him, understanding him, and even talking about the Christian faith with him and how it is absolutely relevant to his life, but he didn't know how to handle the conversation with him. His character is not even believable, because a priest would know about theology and would know how to talk about the issue of God's existence.

I think Meursault is wrong in thinking that God does not exist, and it's unfortunate that in the novel he did not pursue that issue further. Perhaps he did not think it was an important issue in the first place. But the implications of God's non-existence are very serious. ...more

7 likes · Like · see review