Existentialism as a corollary of underived truth, 04 Sep 2008
An incisive diatribe on conventional rationality, this is in my opinion (and contrary to the views of one didactic reviewer)one of the most profound pieces of literature. It perambulates the existence of a man who eschews a life of corrupted, arbitrary ideology in favour of social aseity.
The writer' s terse, matter of fact treatment of the narrative correlates perfectly with his subversive philosophy that leaves an indelible mark on any reader open minded enough to accept it. The idea that our actions should always be subordinated to and permeated by the unfathomable idea of a god and a fallacious, inequitous set of rules and conventions that distort the truth to suit people' s delusions is discarded with the kind of perspicacious execution the subject deserves. All religion and politics do is teach us to repress and compartmentalise the truth in order that malevolent leviathans can divest us of our individuality and turn us into sequacious, depersonalised morons.
In summary then, take all your absurd beliefs in religion, society, maladroit music, vacuous filmmaking, sycophantic hero-worship of soulless idiots and risible faith in the infallibility of the law and flush it down the toilet where excrement belongs!


Fascinating, 24 May 2008
More of a novella this is regularly featured on such lists of books to read before you die. I personally prefer The Plague by Camus, but this is still a stunning literary work, and definitely worthy of a read.

Meursalt, the 'outsider' of the novel, tells us his brief tale. A man oddly disconnected from the rest of humanity, living on the edges of understanding in terms of social interaction, he comes across as almost autistic in his views of the world. The story takes us from the death of his mother through to his arrest for murder and the trial that ensues.

There is a letter from Camus in which he describe Meursalt as a redeemer figure and a hero whose only sin is to speak the truth of his existence. I don't think this is 100% honest, as despite his alienation there are glimpses of his connection to the world in a kind of wistful, painful manner that make one believe that maybe Meursalt is missing out. It is those brief bubbles of awareness that make him a complex and tragic figure rather than a villain.

A fascinating book, which deals with perception and justice and the nature of right and wrong.

just wanted to add my five stars in the hope of persuading you to buy this book!, 05 Apr 2008
i read this book a couple of days ago and its very good. the story and what it means keeps coming back to me. I think this signifies it is strong and clever book. i also want to lend it to all my friends so we can talk about it.

if you want to read something which will inspire you to think read this. if you want to read something enjoyable and really well written read this. i think basically if you can read, read this!






First masterpiece from Albert Camus; L'Étranger (1942), 29 Feb 2008
The Outsider was first published in Paris in 1942 and would cement it's author's reputation as one of the most intelligent and imaginative writers of the 20th century. It also remains one the best introductions to the realm of existentialist literature - or that so-called sub-genre they dubbed the philosophical novella - in that it combines certain theoretical ideas that were established in the early writings of Jean-Paul Sartre (particularly his novel Nausea and his short story collection, Le Mur) with a more defined sense of narrative, character and attitude towards politics and morality. Because of this, the story is simplified to the point of non-existence, as J.G. Ballard notes in his personal blurb (surmised on the back of the Penguin Classics publication) "it's the story of a beach murder... blood and sand" which, despite giving away a central plot point of the book, destroys none of the tension or emotional connection that we feel for the central character.

It is Camus' genius in pruning the story down to a bare minimum of scenes and supporting characters that gives the book any social or philosophical weight; with the ramifications of the act and the underlining attitude of our protagonist Meursault defining the crux of the book's theoretical debate over notions of narrative unfolding, etc. The slightness of actual narrative (and I use this term lightly, since many great books have needed very little in the way of story to entrance a reader) and the fact that at a mere 118 pages it remains one of the shortest works of fiction, will no doubt alienate many potential readers; which to me, is a great shame. Camus knows that it is the simplicity of the story and the matter-of-fact way in which he uses his prose to detail this bland everyday existence of our "hero" that will elevate his plight come the closing chapters of the book. In this respect, it reminded me very much of Kieslowski's masterpiece A Short Film About Killing, in that we are introduced to this character who, although warm and to some degree capable of love and tenderness (particularly here, if we look at his various relationships throughout the book with Raymond, Marie, even old Salamano, et al), is withdrawn from the world around him and lost within the trivialities of existence; the sun, the beach and the waves.

Camus argument, paraphrased in his after word as the mere notion that "...any man that doesn't cry at his mother's funeral is liable to be condemned to death" acts as a blistering indictment of the judicial system of 1940's Algiers (in the same way that Kieslowski's afore-mentioned film lamented early-80's Poland), as well as the notion of atheism (lets not forget that Sartre described existentialism as "the attempt to draw all the consequences from a position of consistent atheism"), mortality and the importance of fact in the eyes of those that bend the truth to suit their own view of life, seen through the eyes of a character who is so removed from the world around him that he is incapable of bending the truth, even if the truth will only incriminate him further within the misdeeds of the past. Camus book remains as intelligent and relevant today as it did back in 1942, and offers the reader an enticing theoretical parable, relating to the notions of the social and historical unjust.

The writing throughout is atmospheric, and captures the plight of our narrator Meursault, with whom me share a combination of sadness, empathy, pity and remorse. As Ballard points out in his brief summation, this is one of the century's classic novels, which, in my opinion, deserves to be experienced by as many people as possible.

Excellent!, 14 Dec 2007
Meursault is an odd person. The hero's passivity strikes you, but it is his brutal honesty, reminiscent of Dostoevsky's Prince Myshkin, which really stands out. He is the real authentic man, in the existential sense. Alas, he is persecuted for his candidness and approach to life. Camus wrote in "The Myth of Sisyphus" that when one is free of illusions and is faced with the nude absurdity of life one becomes a stranger. In this book, society cannot handle Meursault's authenticity, his strangeness. How dare this man not comply with social conventions? He must be a dangerous misanthrope, a psychopath. And like Christ, he is crucified by reactionaries. He is the absurd hero, that is simply being honest, and for that I have a real admiration for him. Just my take on it anyway . . .

Existentialism as a corollary of underived truth, 04 Sep 2008
An incisive diatribe on conventional rationality, this is in my opinion (and contrary to the views of one didactic reviewer)one of the most profound pieces of literature. It perambulates the existence of a man who eschews a life of corrupted, arbitrary ideology in favour of social aseity.
The writer' s terse, matter of fact treatment of the narrative correlates perfectly with his subversive philosophy that leaves an indelible mark on any reader open minded enough to accept it. The idea that our actions should always be subordinated to and permeated by the unfathomable idea of a god and a fallacious, inequitous set of rules and conventions that distort the truth to suit people' s delusions is discarded with the kind of perspicacious execution the subject deserves. All religion and politics do is teach us to repress and compartmentalise the truth in order that malevolent leviathans can divest us of our individuality and turn us into sequacious, depersonalised morons.
In summary then, take all your absurd beliefs in religion, society, maladroit music, vacuous filmmaking, sycophantic hero-worship of soulless idiots and risible faith in the infallibility of the law and flush it down the toilet where excrement belongs!


Fascinating, 24 May 2008
More of a novella this is regularly featured on such lists of books to read before you die. I personally prefer The Plague by Camus, but this is still a stunning literary work, and definitely worthy of a read.

Meursalt, the 'outsider' of the novel, tells us his brief tale. A man oddly disconnected from the rest of humanity, living on the edges of understanding in terms of social interaction, he comes across as almost autistic in his views of the world. The story takes us from the death of his mother through to his arrest for murder and the trial that ensues.

There is a letter from Camus in which he describe Meursalt as a redeemer figure and a hero whose only sin is to speak the truth of his existence. I don't think this is 100% honest, as despite his alienation there are glimpses of his connection to the world in a kind of wistful, painful manner that make one believe that maybe Meursalt is missing out. It is those brief bubbles of awareness that make him a complex and tragic figure rather than a villain.

A fascinating book, which deals with perception and justice and the nature of right and wrong.

just wanted to add my five stars in the hope of persuading you to buy this book!, 05 Apr 2008
i read this book a couple of days ago and its very good. the story and what it means keeps coming back to me. I think this signifies it is strong and clever book. i also want to lend it to all my friends so we can talk about it.

if you want to read something which will inspire you to think read this. if you want to read something enjoyable and really well written read this. i think basically if you can read, read this!






First masterpiece from Albert Camus; L'Étranger (1942), 29 Feb 2008
The Outsider was first published in Paris in 1942 and would cement it's author's reputation as one of the most intelligent and imaginative writers of the 20th century. It also remains one the best introductions to the realm of existentialist literature - or that so-called sub-genre they dubbed the philosophical novella - in that it combines certain theoretical ideas that were established in the early writings of Jean-Paul Sartre (particularly his novel Nausea and his short story collection, Le Mur) with a more defined sense of narrative, character and attitude towards politics and morality. Because of this, the story is simplified to the point of non-existence, as J.G. Ballard notes in his personal blurb (surmised on the back of the Penguin Classics publication) "it's the story of a beach murder... blood and sand" which, despite giving away a central plot point of the book, destroys none of the tension or emotional connection that we feel for the central character.

It is Camus' genius in pruning the story down to a bare minimum of scenes and supporting characters that gives the book any social or philosophical weight; with the ramifications of the act and the underlining attitude of our protagonist Meursault defining the crux of the book's theoretical debate over notions of narrative unfolding, etc. The slightness of actual narrative (and I use this term lightly, since many great books have needed very little in the way of story to entrance a reader) and the fact that at a mere 118 pages it remains one of the shortest works of fiction, will no doubt alienate many potential readers; which to me, is a great shame. Camus knows that it is the simplicity of the story and the matter-of-fact way in which he uses his prose to detail this bland everyday existence of our "hero" that will elevate his plight come the closing chapters of the book. In this respect, it reminded me very much of Kieslowski's masterpiece A Short Film About Killing, in that we are introduced to this character who, although warm and to some degree capable of love and tenderness (particularly here, if we look at his various relationships throughout the book with Raymond, Marie, even old Salamano, et al), is withdrawn from the world around him and lost within the trivialities of existence; the sun, the beach and the waves.

Camus argument, paraphrased in his after word as the mere notion that "...any man that doesn't cry at his mother's funeral is liable to be condemned to death" acts as a blistering indictment of the judicial system of 1940's Algiers (in the same way that Kieslowski's afore-mentioned film lamented early-80's Poland), as well as the notion of atheism (lets not forget that Sartre described existentialism as "the attempt to draw all the consequences from a position of consistent atheism"), mortality and the importance of fact in the eyes of those that bend the truth to suit their own view of life, seen through the eyes of a character who is so removed from the world around him that he is incapable of bending the truth, even if the truth will only incriminate him further within the misdeeds of the past. Camus book remains as intelligent and relevant today as it did back in 1942, and offers the reader an enticing theoretical parable, relating to the notions of the social and historical unjust.

The writing throughout is atmospheric, and captures the plight of our narrator Meursault, with whom me share a combination of sadness, empathy, pity and remorse. As Ballard points out in his brief summation, this is one of the century's classic novels, which, in my opinion, deserves to be experienced by as many people as possible.

Excellent!, 14 Dec 2007
Meursault is an odd person. The hero's passivity strikes you, but it is his brutal honesty, reminiscent of Dostoevsky's Prince Myshkin, which really stands out. He is the real authentic man, in the existential sense. Alas, he is persecuted for his candidness and approach to life. Camus wrote in "The Myth of Sisyphus" that when one is free of illusions and is faced with the nude absurdity of life one becomes a stranger. In this book, society cannot handle Meursault's authenticity, his strangeness. How dare this man not comply with social conventions? He must be a dangerous misanthrope, a psychopath. And like Christ, he is crucified by reactionaries. He is the absurd hero, that is simply being honest, and for that I have a real admiration for him. Just my take on it anyway . . .

Let the hell of the present be your kingdom, 26 Apr 2007
Albert Camus, who will not call himself a philosopher, who will not "sit on a judge's bench" here, in his essay The Myth of Sisyphus, describes an "absurd sensitivity" he feels prevalent in this age. He is concerned with the principle that "for a man who does not cheat, what he believes to be true must determine his action." Consequently, how should someone, in finding the world absurd, find resource to continue in that world. Indeed, for Camus, "there is but one truly philosophical problem and that is suicide."
He clubs philosophers, scientists and religious acolytes together for their leap into construction and the world of their belief; "the leap does not represent an extreme danger, as Kierkegaard would have it. The danger, on the contrary, lies in the subtle instant that precedes the leap. Being able to remain in that dizzying crest - that is integrity and the rest is subterfuge."
Aware of the dangers of ignorance and enthusiasm, Camus propounds a life of self-exhaustion and permanent revolution, concerned not only with the quality of life, but with its quantity; "a man's rule of conduct and his scale of values have no meaning except through the quantity and variety of experiences he has been able to accumulate." But this is not a blank cheque for violence, "one must not be a dupe", it is the means for art to realise its ultimate importance; "the great work of art has less significance in itself than the ordeal that it demands of the man and the opportunity which it provides him of overcoming his phantoms and approaching a little closer to his naked reality." Absurdity provides us with a justification for authentic creative effort.

Technically, Camus does not impress, as Sartre's or Heidegger's analyses do. But we have to appreciate him on his own terms, he even asks for our "indulgence" in his preface. He is not concerned with drawing up irreproachable ontological walls, building closed systems or universes, but with providing some light by which to see how everything we do is already contained within walls which we only have to create within to be free. Less impressive than his fiction, yes, but still immensely influential.

The five other essays in this collection, especially Summer in Algiers and The Minotaur, both lyrical eulogies to the cities and the country in Africa, provide counterweight to the main essay; uneasy as a philosopher, here Camus shows his true colours, simply those of a great writer.

outstanding, 14 Nov 2006
Parts of this book are revalatory. The account of someone "awakening to absurdity" - the sense of meaninglessness which render everyday gestures and actions seem unreal, staged - is masterly. But it is how he expands upon this that makes this book consructive - can 'man' find away out of this malaise towards new connection's or is suicide the only free act left to him? Camus' says that concomitant to the feeling of absurdity is a loss of hope - instead of projections into the future, all that man can possibly do is effect a revolt in the present against "his obscurity". It is the possibility of establishing a "new way of seeing" through which (ermm...) redemption could come.

The Paradox of Life: Meaningful or Absurd?, 06 May 2006
The myth of Sisyphus is an ancient Greek myth - the
book of the same name by Camus is about the
philosophy of suicide, or rather the absurdity of
life. He believed suicide to be the only proper
subject of philosophy. Albert Camus, like Jean Paul Sartre (e.g., in Sartre's _Age of Reason_), is brilliant at
conveying his [existentialist] philosophy through his
novels and plays.

Sisyphus was a Greek hero, i.e., less than a god
but higher than a man and consequently is doomed to
never die. As you know, the ancient Greeks and Romans
believed the heavens above are occupied by Heroes
and Villains slugging it out eternally: the age-old
belief in the never-ending fight between good and
evil (cf. St George vs the dragon] even as we speak.

Sisyphus's task is to forever roll a massive boulder
up a mountain, for each step forward, the boulder
rolls two steps back, so of course he never reaches
the top for all his toils as he has to forever begin again from the bottom.

Camus takes as his premise, the dualistic nature of life: we strive to make life meaningful, and yet the end result is death. English intellectuals tend to be quite pusillanimous on a topic whose logical conclusion is that the only meaningful solution to the absurdity of life and the dearth of religion is suicide (Camus is atheist), for it follows the dualistism of existence (light/dark, male/female, day/night, etc).





Too dense and obscure, 15 Oct 2005
I am a huge fan of Camus, and absurdism is a view of life that has a lot of meaning for me, so I had high hopes for this collection of essays, famed for being the definitive absurdist statement. Unfortunately I was left hugely disappointed.
The first half of the book is given to a series of essays discussing the implications of absurdism for our reasoning, for the priorities we choose in life ('The Absurd Man') and the purpose of art ('Absurd Creation'). These essays are dense, wordy and obscure, and Camus' unusually verbose prose and vague language served only to confuse his message. I think that I understand Camus' ideas reasonably well from his fiction, and these essays clarified very little. The essay 'The Myth of Sisyphus' is tiny by comparison, only four pages, but it succeeded for me where the others fail. It is vintage Camus, beautifully setting up his ideas simply and directly. The rest of the book can be left aside, but this one short essay is essential for Camus fans. The rest of the book is given to essays that are part absurdist philosophy, part prose poem about life in Algeria. They are strangely compelling, and show where I think that Camus' strength lies, in subtly combining philosophy and art. The early essays are too self-consciously pompous. The later ones are Camus on top form.
In short, I found that I didn't gain much from reading this collection that I hadn't already got from Camus' vastly preferable fiction ('The Outsider', 'The Plague', 'Exile and the Kingdom'), and would really recommend reading the latter in preference to this collection. Having said that, 'The Myth of Sisyphus' does have some excellent moments, but I found too much of it to be hard work.

Camus' philosphy, 19 Aug 2002
If you are at all interested in Camus' philosophy you must read these thoughts on the Human Condition based around the story of Sysiphus who was condemned to pushing a great boulder to the top of a mountain only to see it rolling back to the bottom again. Camus' thoughts are not as bleak as pessimists might first imagine. Essential reading for insights into 20th century takes on the absurdity of out condition.

Existentialism as a corollary of underived truth, 04 Sep 2008
An incisive diatribe on conventional rationality, this is in my opinion (and contrary to the views of one didactic reviewer)one of the most profound pieces of literature. It perambulates the existence of a man who eschews a life of corrupted, arbitrary ideology in favour of social aseity.
The writer' s terse, matter of fact treatment of the narrative correlates perfectly with his subversive philosophy that leaves an indelible mark on any reader open minded enough to accept it. The idea that our actions should always be subordinated to and permeated by the unfathomable idea of a god and a fallacious, inequitous set of rules and conventions that distort the truth to suit people' s delusions is discarded with the kind of perspicacious execution the subject deserves. All religion and politics do is teach us to repress and compartmentalise the truth in order that malevolent leviathans can divest us of our individuality and turn us into sequacious, depersonalised morons.
In summary then, take all your absurd beliefs in religion, society, maladroit music, vacuous filmmaking, sycophantic hero-worship of soulless idiots and risible faith in the infallibility of the law and flush it down the toilet where excrement belongs!


Fascinating, 24 May 2008
More of a novella this is regularly featured on such lists of books to read before you die. I personally prefer The Plague by Camus, but this is still a stunning literary work, and definitely worthy of a read.

Meursalt, the 'outsider' of the novel, tells us his brief tale. A man oddly disconnected from the rest of humanity, living on the edges of understanding in terms of social interaction, he comes across as almost autistic in his views of the world. The story takes us from the death of his mother through to his arrest for murder and the trial that ensues.

There is a letter from Camus in which he describe Meursalt as a redeemer figure and a hero whose only sin is to speak the truth of his existence. I don't think this is 100% honest, as despite his alienation there are glimpses of his connection to the world in a kind of wistful, painful manner that make one believe that maybe Meursalt is missing out. It is those brief bubbles of awareness that make him a complex and tragic figure rather than a villain.

A fascinating book, which deals with perception and justice and the nature of right and wrong.

just wanted to add my five stars in the hope of persuading you to buy this book!, 05 Apr 2008
i read this book a couple of days ago and its very good. the story and what it means keeps coming back to me. I think this signifies it is strong and clever book. i also want to lend it to all my friends so we can talk about it.

if you want to read something which will inspire you to think read this. if you want to read something enjoyable and really well written read this. i think basically if you can read, read this!






First masterpiece from Albert Camus; L'Étranger (1942), 29 Feb 2008
The Outsider was first published in Paris in 1942 and would cement it's author's reputation as one of the most intelligent and imaginative writers of the 20th century. It also remains one the best introductions to the realm of existentialist literature - or that so-called sub-genre they dubbed the philosophical novella - in that it combines certain theoretical ideas that were established in the early writings of Jean-Paul Sartre (particularly his novel Nausea and his short story collection, Le Mur) with a more defined sense of narrative, character and attitude towards politics and morality. Because of this, the story is simplified to the point of non-existence, as J.G. Ballard notes in his personal blurb (surmised on the back of the Penguin Classics publication) "it's the story of a beach murder... blood and sand" which, despite giving away a central plot point of the book, destroys none of the tension or emotional connection that we feel for the central character.

It is Camus' genius in pruning the story down to a bare minimum of scenes and supporting characters that gives the book any social or philosophical weight; with the ramifications of the act and the underlining attitude of our protagonist Meursault defining the crux of the book's theoretical debate over notions of narrative unfolding, etc. The slightness of actual narrative (and I use this term lightly, since many great books have needed very little in the way of story to entrance a reader) and the fact that at a mere 118 pages it remains one of the shortest works of fiction, will no doubt alienate many potential readers; which to me, is a great shame. Camus knows that it is the simplicity of the story and the matter-of-fact way in which he uses his prose to detail this bland everyday existence of our "hero" that will elevate his plight come the closing chapters of the book. In this respect, it reminded me very much of Kieslowski's masterpiece A Short Film About Killing, in that we are introduced to this character who, although warm and to some degree capable of love and tenderness (particularly here, if we look at his various relationships throughout the book with Raymond, Marie, even old Salamano, et al), is withdrawn from the world around him and lost within the trivialities of existence; the sun, the beach and the waves.

Camus argument, paraphrased in his after word as the mere notion that "...any man that doesn't cry at his mother's funeral is liable to be condemned to death" acts as a blistering indictment of the judicial system of 1940's Algiers (in the same way that Kieslowski's afore-mentioned film lamented early-80's Poland), as well as the notion of atheism (lets not forget that Sartre described existentialism as "the attempt to draw all the consequences from a position of consistent atheism"), mortality and the importance of fact in the eyes of those that bend the truth to suit their own view of life, seen through the eyes of a character who is so removed from the world around him that he is incapable of bending the truth, even if the truth will only incriminate him further within the misdeeds of the past. Camus book remains as intelligent and relevant today as it did back in 1942, and offers the reader an enticing theoretical parable, relating to the notions of the social and historical unjust.

The writing throughout is atmospheric, and captures the plight of our narrator Meursault, with whom me share a combination of sadness, empathy, pity and remorse. As Ballard points out in his brief summation, this is one of the century's classic novels, which, in my opinion, deserves to be experienced by as many people as possible.

Excellent!, 14 Dec 2007
Meursault is an odd person. The hero's passivity strikes you, but it is his brutal honesty, reminiscent of Dostoevsky's Prince Myshkin, which really stands out. He is the real authentic man, in the existential sense. Alas, he is persecuted for his candidness and approach to life. Camus wrote in "The Myth of Sisyphus" that when one is free of illusions and is faced with the nude absurdity of life one becomes a stranger. In this book, society cannot handle Meursault's authenticity, his strangeness. How dare this man not comply with social conventions? He must be a dangerous misanthrope, a psychopath. And like Christ, he is crucified by reactionaries. He is the absurd hero, that is simply being honest, and for that I have a real admiration for him. Just my take on it anyway . . .

Let the hell of the present be your kingdom, 26 Apr 2007
Albert Camus, who will not call himself a philosopher, who will not "sit on a judge's bench" here, in his essay The Myth of Sisyphus, describes an "absurd sensitivity" he feels prevalent in this age. He is concerned with the principle that "for a man who does not cheat, what he believes to be true must determine his action." Consequently, how should someone, in finding the world absurd, find resource to continue in that world. Indeed, for Camus, "there is but one truly philosophical problem and that is suicide."
He clubs philosophers, scientists and religious acolytes together for their leap into construction and the world of their belief; "the leap does not represent an extreme danger, as Kierkegaard would have it. The danger, on the contrary, lies in the subtle instant that precedes the leap. Being able to remain in that dizzying crest - that is integrity and the rest is subterfuge."
Aware of the dangers of ignorance and enthusiasm, Camus propounds a life of self-exhaustion and permanent revolution, concerned not only with the quality of life, but with its quantity; "a man's rule of conduct and his scale of values have no meaning except through the quantity and variety of experiences he has been able to accumulate." But this is not a blank cheque for violence, "one must not be a dupe", it is the means for art to realise its ultimate importance; "the great work of art has less significance in itself than the ordeal that it demands of the man and the opportunity which it provides him of overcoming his phantoms and approaching a little closer to his naked reality." Absurdity provides us with a justification for authentic creative effort.

Technically, Camus does not impress, as Sartre's or Heidegger's analyses do. But we have to appreciate him on his own terms, he even asks for our "indulgence" in his preface. He is not concerned with drawing up irreproachable ontological walls, building closed systems or universes, but with providing some light by which to see how everything we do is already contained within walls which we only have to create within to be free. Less impressive than his fiction, yes, but still immensely influential.

The five other essays in this collection, especially Summer in Algiers and The Minotaur, both lyrical eulogies to the cities and the country in Africa, provide counterweight to the main essay; uneasy as a philosopher, here Camus shows his true colours, simply those of a great writer.

outstanding, 14 Nov 2006
Parts of this book are revalatory. The account of someone "awakening to absurdity" - the sense of meaninglessness which render everyday gestures and actions seem unreal, staged - is masterly. But it is how he expands upon this that makes this book consructive - can 'man' find away out of this malaise towards new connection's or is suicide the only free act left to him? Camus' says that concomitant to the feeling of absurdity is a loss of hope - instead of projections into the future, all that man can possibly do is effect a revolt in the present against "his obscurity". It is the possibility of establishing a "new way of seeing" through which (ermm...) redemption could come.

The Paradox of Life: Meaningful or Absurd?, 06 May 2006
The myth of Sisyphus is an ancient Greek myth - the
book of the same name by Camus is about the
philosophy of suicide, or rather the absurdity of
life. He believed suicide to be the only proper
subject of philosophy. Albert Camus, like Jean Paul Sartre (e.g., in Sartre's _Age of Reason_), is brilliant at
conveying his [existentialist] philosophy through his
novels and plays.

Sisyphus was a Greek hero, i.e., less than a god
but higher than a man and consequently is doomed to
never die. As you know, the ancient Greeks and Romans
believed the heavens above are occupied by Heroes
and Villains slugging it out eternally: the age-old
belief in the never-ending fight between good and
evil (cf. St George vs the dragon] even as we speak.

Sisyphus's task is to forever roll a massive boulder
up a mountain, for each step forward, the boulder
rolls two steps back, so of course he never reaches
the top for all his toils as he has to forever begin again from the bottom.

Camus takes as his premise, the dualistic nature of life: we strive to make life meaningful, and yet the end result is death. English intellectuals tend to be quite pusillanimous on a topic whose logical conclusion is that the only meaningful solution to the absurdity of life and the dearth of religion is suicide (Camus is atheist), for it follows the dualistism of existence (light/dark, male/female, day/night, etc).





Too dense and obscure, 15 Oct 2005
I am a huge fan of Camus, and absurdism is a view of life that has a lot of meaning for me, so I had high hopes for this collection of essays, famed for being the definitive absurdist statement. Unfortunately I was left hugely disappointed.
The first half of the book is given to a series of essays discussing the implications of absurdism for our reasoning, for the priorities we choose in life ('The Absurd Man') and the purpose of art ('Absurd Creation'). These essays are dense, wordy and obscure, and Camus' unusually verbose prose and vague language served only to confuse his message. I think that I understand Camus' ideas reasonably well from his fiction, and these essays clarified very little. The essay 'The Myth of Sisyphus' is tiny by comparison, only four pages, but it succeeded for me where the others fail. It is vintage Camus, beautifully setting up his ideas simply and directly. The rest of the book can be left aside, but this one short essay is essential for Camus fans. The rest of the book is given to essays that are part absurdist philosophy, part prose poem about life in Algeria. They are strangely compelling, and show where I think that Camus' strength lies, in subtly combining philosophy and art. The early essays are too self-consciously pompous. The later ones are Camus on top form.
In short, I found that I didn't gain much from reading this collection that I hadn't already got from Camus' vastly preferable fiction ('The Outsider', 'The Plague', 'Exile and the Kingdom'), and would really recommend reading the latter in preference to this collection. Having said that, 'The Myth of Sisyphus' does have some excellent moments, but I found too much of it to be hard work.

Camus' philosphy, 19 Aug 2002
If you are at all interested in Camus' philosophy you must read these thoughts on the Human Condition based around the story of Sysiphus who was condemned to pushing a great boulder to the top of a mountain only to see it rolling back to the bottom again. Camus' thoughts are not as bleak as pessimists might first imagine. Essential reading for insights into 20th century takes on the absurdity of out condition.

Brilliant!, 24 Nov 2007
Book arrived 3 days late but was well worth the wait. Is an amazing book, highly reccomend!

The Outsider is a good book, 29 Apr 2004
Meursault is my umost hero because he operates entirely according to hisown considerations. Most discussions of the book on the internet areawful. Meursault is not indifferent to the conventions of his society,and he has certainly made no choice to reject them. He is an impossiblecharacter, the perfect existential consciousness if you like. Theopinions, standards or ideas of anyone but himself are irrelevant to him. He has not reached this position through any thought process: he simplyhappens to be the epitome of philosophical egoism, individualism, moralrelativism. He cannot in fact be a creation in real human society. It ismeaningless to approve or disapprove of him because he is firstlyimpossible in reality, and secondly has not made himself the way he is. He is heroic because he is utterly himself, an unattainable transcendentperfection for anybody who wants to live by their own personal judgements. Analysis of the role of the sun is also poor: the ascent and power of thesun destroy the shadows which everything 'other' casts on Meursault, thatis the impositions of the world on his individualism. When Meursaultshoots, he is overcome only by the dazzling absurdity and meaninglessnessof existence and consciousness, which can be seen if all outsideimpositions are wiped out. PS read Crime And Punishment to seeRaskolnikoff try to reach Meursault-esque individualist morality: and whathappens to someone who does this.

Didn't enjoy it at all, 26 May 2003
It could be the fact that I was forced to read it for A Level French, but I really disliked this book! I found it had no real story line, there was next to no characterisation, and you didn't feel anything for the main character, Mersault. It seemed to simply be someone moaning about their life, while not being prepared to do anything about it. Mersault is very antagonistic, not willing to make any effort to get along with people, and he was impossible to relate to.

All in all, I'd recommend giving this book a wide berth!

C'est le livre le plus magnifique que j'ai jamais lu, 11 Aug 1999
Meursault est un homme tres irrationel, il n'aime pas conformer avec les regles de notre societe. Peut-etre comme Albert Camus lui-meme. Le roman commence a se trouver en Algerie et Meursault est venu de perdre sa mere. Il decrivait l'enterrement mais on ne trouve aucunes emotiones. Bien que tout n'aille pas bien pour M. Meursault, le directeur de l'asile soupconnait que Meursault n'a pas de problemes avec la morte de sa mere. Il n'a pas pleure a l'enterrement mais puis il ne disait rien. Meursault retourne chez lui et il fait connaitre des amis: Raymond et sa nana Marie. On lit des petits aventures de Meursault et sa maniere de vivre, et plus important sa vue de notre societe. Camus a dit que << Meursault est peut-etre le seulement Jesus Christ qu'on merite>> et je pense que vous devez trouver pourquoi il a dit ca. J'ai lu ce roman plus que trente fois je veux le lire encore

The opening sentence that grabbed my attention!!, 09 Aug 1999
I am yet to find an Engllish translation of L'Etranger which does full justice to both Camus and L'Etranger. I have read this book several times in both English and French and I still find the original french version to be much more hard hitting. Any author who can grab the reader's attention from the very first sentence through to the last word deserves respect and acknowledgement. Camus manages this spectacularly - making the reader and society feel on the outside.

The novel focuses on Meursault, a man who kills an Arab 'a cause du soleil'. Meursault is then condemned, not for the murder of the Arab, but for his lack of belief in God, not crying at his mother's funeral and for telling the truth in a country and period of time where it would have been possible for him to lie and escape without punishment. It also examines the values of society during this time.

Contrary to my fellow students last year, I found this novel to be optomisitic - Meursault lived his life the way he wanted. I only found pessimism when Meursault was taken away from the things he loved - the sun, the beach and the sky.

Try to read this in French, if you can. I still feel so much of the meaning and feeling is lost in the translation - but just read it anyway!!!!!!

Existentialism as a corollary of underived truth, 04 Sep 2008
An incisive diatribe on conventional rationality, this is in my opinion (and contrary to the views of one didactic reviewer)one of the most profound pieces of literature. It perambulates the existence of a man who eschews a life of corrupted, arbitrary ideology in favour of social aseity.
The writer' s terse, matter of fact treatment of the narrative correlates perfectly with his subversive philosophy that leaves an indelible mark on any reader open minded enough to accept it. The idea that our actions should always be subordinated to and permeated by the unfathomable idea of a god and a fallacious, inequitous set of rules and conventions that distort the truth to suit people' s delusions is discarded with the kind of perspicacious execution the subject deserves. All religion and politics do is teach us to repress and compartmentalise the truth in order that malevolent leviathans can divest us of our individuality and turn us into sequacious, depersonalised morons.
In summary then, take all your absurd beliefs in religion, society, maladroit music, vacuous filmmaking, sycophantic hero-worship of soulless idiots and risible faith in the infallibility of the law and flush it down the toilet where excrement belongs!


Fascinating, 24 May 2008
More of a novella this is regularly featured on such lists of books to read before you die. I personally prefer The Plague by Camus, but this is still a stunning literary work, and definitely worthy of a read.

Meursalt, the 'outsider' of the novel, tells us his brief tale. A man oddly disconnected from the rest of humanity, living on the edges of understanding in terms of social interaction, he comes across as almost autistic in his views of the world. The story takes us from the death of his mother through to his arrest for murder and the trial that ensues.

There is a letter from Camus in which he describe Meursalt as a redeemer figure and a hero whose only sin is to speak the truth of his existence. I don't think this is 100% honest, as despite his alienation there are glimpses of his connection to the world in a kind of wistful, painful manner that make one believe that maybe Meursalt is missing out. It is those brief bubbles of awareness that make him a complex and tragic figure rather than a villain.

A fascinating book, which deals with perception and justice and the nature of right and wrong.

just wanted to add my five stars in the hope of persuading you to buy this book!, 05 Apr 2008
i read this book a couple of days ago and its very good. the story and what it means keeps coming back to me. I think this signifies it is strong and clever book. i also want to lend it to all my friends so we can talk about it.

if you want to read something which will inspire you to think read this. if you want to read something enjoyable and really well written read this. i think basically if you can read, read this!






First masterpiece from Albert Camus; L'Étranger (1942), 29 Feb 2008
The Outsider was first published in Paris in 1942 and would cement it's author's reputation as one of the most intelligent and imaginative writers of the 20th century. It also remains one the best introductions to the realm of existentialist literature - or that so-called sub-genre they dubbed the philosophical novella - in that it combines certain theoretical ideas that were established in the early writings of Jean-Paul Sartre (particularly his novel Nausea and his short story collection, Le Mur) with a more defined sense of narrative, character and attitude towards politics and morality. Because of this, the story is simplified to the point of non-existence, as J.G. Ballard notes in his personal blurb (surmised on the back of the Penguin Classics publication) "it's the story of a beach murder... blood and sand" which, despite giving away a central plot point of the book, destroys none of the tension or emotional connection that we feel for the central character.

It is Camus' genius in pruning the story down to a bare minimum of scenes and supporting characters that gives the book any social or philosophical weight; with the ramifications of the act and the underlining attitude of our protagonist Meursault defining the crux of the book's theoretical debate over notions of narrative unfolding, etc. The slightness of actual narrative (and I use this term lightly, since many great books have needed very little in the way of story to entrance a reader) and the fact that at a mere 118 pages it remains one of the shortest works of fiction, will no doubt alienate many potential readers; which to me, is a great shame. Camus knows that it is the simplicity of the story and the matter-of-fact way in which he uses his prose to detail this bland everyday existence of our "hero" that will elevate his plight come the closing chapters of the book. In this respect, it reminded me very much of Kieslowski's masterpiece A Short Film About Killing, in that we are introduced to this character who, although warm and to some degree capable of love and tenderness (particularly here, if we look at his various relationships throughout the book with Raymond, Marie, even old Salamano, et al), is withdrawn from the world around him and lost within the trivialities of existence; the sun, the beach and the waves.

Camus argument, paraphrased in his after word as the mere notion that "...any man that doesn't cry at his mother's funeral is liable to be condemned to death" acts as a blistering indictment of the judicial system of 1940's Algiers (in the same way that Kieslowski's afore-mentioned film lamented early-80's Poland), as well as the notion of atheism (lets not forget that Sartre described existentialism as "the attempt to draw all the consequences from a position of consistent atheism"), mortality and the importance of fact in the eyes of those that bend the truth to suit their own view of life, seen through the eyes of a character who is so removed from the world around him that he is incapable of bending the truth, even if the truth will only incriminate him further within the misdeeds of the past. Camus book remains as intelligent and relevant today as it did back in 1942, and offers the reader an enticing theoretical parable, relating to the notions of the social and historical unjust.

The writing throughout is atmospheric, and captures the plight of our narrator Meursault, with whom me share a combination of sadness, empathy, pity and remorse. As Ballard points out in his brief summation, this is one of the century's classic novels, which, in my opinion, deserves to be experienced by as many people as possible.

Excellent!, 14 Dec 2007
Meursault is an odd person. The hero's passivity strikes you, but it is his brutal honesty, reminiscent of Dostoevsky's Prince Myshkin, which really stands out. He is the real authentic man, in the existential sense. Alas, he is persecuted for his candidness and approach to life. Camus wrote in "The Myth of Sisyphus" that when one is free of illusions and is faced with the nude absurdity of life one becomes a stranger. In this book, society cannot handle Meursault's authenticity, his strangeness. How dare this man not comply with social conventions? He must be a dangerous misanthrope, a psychopath. And like Christ, he is crucified by reactionaries. He is the absurd hero, that is simply being honest, and for that I have a real admiration for him. Just my take on it anyway . . .

Let the hell of the present be your kingdom, 26 Apr 2007
Albert Camus, who will not call himself a philosopher, who will not "sit on a judge's bench" here, in his essay The Myth of Sisyphus, describes an "absurd sensitivity" he feels prevalent in this age. He is concerned with the principle that "for a man who does not cheat, what he believes to be true must determine his action." Consequently, how should someone, in finding the world absurd, find resource to continue in that world. Indeed, for Camus, "there is but one truly philosophical problem and that is suicide."
He clubs philosophers, scientists and religious acolytes together for their leap into construction and the world of their belief; "the leap does not represent an extreme danger, as Kierkegaard would have it. The danger, on the contrary, lies in the subtle instant that precedes the leap. Being able to remain in that dizzying crest - that is integrity and the rest is subterfuge."
Aware of the dangers of ignorance and enthusiasm, Camus propounds a life of self-exhaustion and permanent revolution, concerned not only with the quality of life, but with its quantity; "a man's rule of conduct and his scale of values have no meaning except through the quantity and variety of experiences he has been able to accumulate." But this is not a blank cheque for violence, "one must not be a dupe", it is the means for art to realise its ultimate importance; "the great work of art has less significance in itself than the ordeal that it demands of the man and the opportunity which it provides him of overcoming his phantoms and approaching a little closer to his naked reality." Absurdity provides us with a justification for authentic creative effort.

Technically, Camus does not impress, as Sartre's or Heidegger's analyses do. But we have to appreciate him on his own terms, he even asks for our "indulgence" in his preface. He is not concerned with drawing up irreproachable ontological walls, building closed systems or universes, but with providing some light by which to see how everything we do is already contained within walls which we only have to create within to be free. Less impressive than his fiction, yes, but still immensely influential.

The five other essays in this collection, especially Summer in Algiers and The Minotaur, both lyrical eulogies to the cities and the country in Africa, provide counterweight to the main essay; uneasy as a philosopher, here Camus shows his true colours, simply those of a great writer.

outstanding, 14 Nov 2006
Parts of this book are revalatory. The account of someone "awakening to absurdity" - the sense of meaninglessness which render everyday gestures and actions seem unreal, staged - is masterly. But it is how he expands upon this that makes this book consructive - can 'man' find away out of this malaise towards new connection's or is suicide the only free act left to him? Camus' says that concomitant to the feeling of absurdity is a loss of hope - instead of projections into the future, all that man can possibly do is effect a revolt in the present against "his obscurity". It is the possibility of establishing a "new way of seeing" through which (ermm...) redemption could come.

The Paradox of Life: Meaningful or Absurd?, 06 May 2006
The myth of Sisyphus is an ancient Greek myth - the
book of the same name by Camus is about the
philosophy of suicide, or rather the absurdity of
life. He believed suicide to be the only proper
subject of philosophy. Albert Camus, like Jean Paul Sartre (e.g., in Sartre's _Age of Reason_), is brilliant at
conveying his [existentialist] philosophy through his
novels and plays.

Sisyphus was a Greek hero, i.e., less than a god
but higher than a man and consequently is doomed to
never die. As you know, the ancient Greeks and Romans
believed the heavens above are occupied by Heroes
and Villains slugging it out eternally: the age-old
belief in the never-ending fight between good and
evil (cf. St George vs the dragon] even as we speak.

Sisyphus's task is to forever roll a massive boulder
up a mountain, for each step forward, the boulder
rolls two steps back, so of course he never reaches
the top for all his toils as he has to forever begin again from the bottom.

Camus takes as his premise, the dualistic nature of life: we strive to make life meaningful, and yet the end result is death. English intellectuals tend to be quite pusillanimous on a topic whose logical conclusion is that the only meaningful solution to the absurdity of life and the dearth of religion is suicide (Camus is atheist), for it follows the dualistism of existence (light/dark, male/female, day/night, etc).





Too dense and obscure, 15 Oct 2005
I am a huge fan of Camus, and absurdism is a view of life that has a lot of meaning for me, so I had high hopes for this collection of essays, famed for being the definitive absurdist statement. Unfortunately I was left hugely disappointed.
The first half of the book is given to a series of essays discussing the implications of absurdism for our reasoning, for the priorities we choose in life ('The Absurd Man') and the purpose of art ('Absurd Creation'). These essays are dense, wordy and obscure, and Camus' unusually verbose prose and vague language served only to confuse his message. I think that I understand Camus' ideas reasonably well from his fiction, and these essays clarified very little. The essay 'The Myth of Sisyphus' is tiny by comparison, only four pages, but it succeeded for me where the others fail. It is vintage Camus, beautifully setting up his ideas simply and directly. The rest of the book can be left aside, but this one short essay is essential for Camus fans. The rest of the book is given to essays that are part absurdist philosophy, part prose poem about life in Algeria. They are strangely compelling, and show where I think that Camus' strength lies, in subtly combining philosophy and art. The early essays are too self-consciously pompous. The later ones are Camus on top form.
In short, I found that I didn't gain much from reading this collection that I hadn't already got from Camus' vastly preferable fiction ('The Outsider', 'The Plague', 'Exile and the Kingdom'), and would really recommend reading the latter in preference to this collection. Having said that, 'The Myth of Sisyphus' does have some excellent moments, but I found too much of it to be hard work.

Camus' philosphy, 19 Aug 2002
If you are at all interested in Camus' philosophy you must read these thoughts on the Human Condition based around the story of Sysiphus who was condemned to pushing a great boulder to the top of a mountain only to see it rolling back to the bottom again. Camus' thoughts are not as bleak as pessimists might first imagine. Essential reading for insights into 20th century takes on the absurdity of out condition.

Brilliant!, 24 Nov 2007
Book arrived 3 days late but was well worth the wait. Is an amazing book, highly reccomend!

The Outsider is a good book, 29 Apr 2004
Meursault is my umost hero because he operates entirely according to hisown considerations. Most discussions of the book on the internet areawful. Meursault is not indifferent to the conventions of his society,and he has certainly made no choice to reject them. He is an impossiblecharacter, the perfect existential consciousness if you like. Theopinions, standards or ideas of anyone but himself are irrelevant to him. He has not reached this position through any thought process: he simplyhappens to be the epitome of philosophical egoism, individualism, moralrelativism. He cannot in fact be a creation in real human society. It ismeaningless to approve or disapprove of him because he is firstlyimpossible in reality, and secondly has not made himself the way he is. He is heroic because he is utterly himself, an unattainable transcendentperfection for anybody who wants to live by their own personal judgements. Analysis of the role of the sun is also poor: the ascent and power of thesun destroy the shadows which everything 'other' casts on Meursault, thatis the impositions of the world on his individualism. When Meursaultshoots, he is overcome only by the dazzling absurdity and meaninglessnessof existence and consciousness, which can be seen if all outsideimpositions are wiped out. PS read Crime And Punishment to seeRaskolnikoff try to reach Meursault-esque individualist morality: and whathappens to someone who does this.

Didn't enjoy it at all, 26 May 2003
It could be the fact that I was forced to read it for A Level French, but I really disliked this book! I found it had no real story line, there was next to no characterisation, and you didn't feel anything for the main character, Mersault. It seemed to simply be someone moaning about their life, while not being prepared to do anything about it. Mersault is very antagonistic, not willing to make any effort to get along with people, and he was impossible to relate to.

All in all, I'd recommend giving this book a wide berth!

C'est le livre le plus magnifique que j'ai jamais lu, 11 Aug 1999
Meursault est un homme tres irrationel, il n'aime pas conformer avec les regles de notre societe. Peut-etre comme Albert Camus lui-meme. Le roman commence a se trouver en Algerie et Meursault est venu de perdre sa mere. Il decrivait l'enterrement mais on ne trouve aucunes emotiones. Bien que tout n'aille pas bien pour M. Meursault, le directeur de l'asile soupconnait que Meursault n'a pas de problemes avec la morte de sa mere. Il n'a pas pleure a l'enterrement mais puis il ne disait rien. Meursault retourne chez lui et il fait connaitre des amis: Raymond et sa nana Marie. On lit des petits aventures de Meursault et sa maniere de vivre, et plus important sa vue de notre societe. Camus a dit que << Meursault est peut-etre le seulement Jesus Christ qu'on merite>> et je pense que vous devez trouver pourquoi il a dit ca. J'ai lu ce roman plus que trente fois je veux le lire encore

The opening sentence that grabbed my attention!!, 09 Aug 1999
I am yet to find an Engllish translation of L'Etranger which does full justice to both Camus and L'Etranger. I have read this book several times in both English and French and I still find the original french version to be much more hard hitting. Any author who can grab the reader's attention from the very first sentence through to the last word deserves respect and acknowledgement. Camus manages this spectacularly - making the reader and society feel on the outside.

The novel focuses on Meursault, a man who kills an Arab 'a cause du soleil'. Meursault is then condemned, not for the murder of the Arab, but for his lack of belief in God, not crying at his mother's funeral and for telling the truth in a country and period of time where it would have been possible for him to lie and escape without punishment. It also examines the values of society during this time.

Contrary to my fellow students last year, I found this novel to be optomisitic - Meursault lived his life the way he wanted. I only found pessimism when Meursault was taken away from the things he loved - the sun, the beach and the sky.

Try to read this in French, if you can. I still feel so much of the meaning and feeling is lost in the translation - but just read it anyway!!!!!!

Changed Perspectives from Threat of Imminent Death, 03 Aug 2004
The Plague is about love, exile, and suffering as illuminated by living around death.

What is the meaning of life? For many, that question is an abstraction except in the context of being aware of losing some of the joys of life, or life itself. In The Plague, Camus creates a timeless tale of humans caught in the jaws of implacable death, in this case a huge outbreak of bubonic plague in Oran, Algeria on the north African coast. With the possibility of dying so close, each character comes to see his or her life differently. In a sense, we each get a glimpse of what we, too, may think about life in the last hours and days before our own deaths. The Plague will leave you with a sense of death as real rather than as an abstraction. Then by reflecting in the mirror of that death, you can see life more clearly.

For example, what role would you take if bubonic plague were to be unleashed in your community? Would you flee? Would you help relieve the suffering? Would you become a profiteer? Would you help maintain order? Would you withdraw or seek out others? These are all important questions for helping you understand yourself that this powerful novel will raise for you.

The book is described as objectively as possible by a narrator, who is one of the key figures in the drama. That literary device allows each of us to insert ourselves into the situation.

Let me explain the main themes. Love is expressed in many ways. There is the love of men and women for each other. Dr. Rieux's wife is ill, and has just left for treatment at a sanitarium. Rambert, a journalist on temporary assignment, is separated from his live-in girl friend in Paris. Dr. Rieux's mother comes to stay with him during his mother's absence, so there is also love of parent and child. The magistrate also loses his son to the plague after a desperate battle. Separations occur because of the quarantine on Oran, which causes love to be tested. What is love without the other person being present? The characters find that their memories soon become abstractions. But they reach out to establish new love with each other. Tarrou, who is also caught in Oran, decides or organize a volunteer corps to help with the sick and dead. Rambert decides to stay in Oran to help after having arranged to escape the quarantine. The survivors find succor in increasing closeness with each other. Rieux and Tarrou become close, almost like brothers. Even Rieux's patients become people with whom he develops an emotional bond, even though the waves of death become an abstraction as he can do little to avert them. The priest figure also helps to explore the notion of love for God and God's love for us. The exile theme is reinforced by the quarantine. People cannot leave Oran. The disease itself causes that exile to become worse. If someone in your household becomes ill, each well person has to be quarantined. So you may be living in a tent in the soccer stadium wondering what is happening to the rest of your family. Cottard is a criminal who is on the run from the authorities. He is in despair as the plague begins, and tries to kill himself. The distractions of the plague keep the authorities from troubling him, so the period of the plague is an exile from his criminal past.

Suffering is easy to explain. Bubonic plague came in two forms in the book. Both brought painful and rapid death, with few reprieves. There is high fever, painful swelling or difficulty in breathing, and enormous pain. Those who tend the suffering also suffer, from the enormous workloads, the sense of futility, and the fear that they, too, will be next.

Camus does a nice job of pointing out that these themes also recur in everyday life. We just don't see them very clearly. The people in Oran live in an ugly city that deliberately built itself away from the beauty of the ocean on a sun-scorched plateau plagued by winds. They take little time to enjoy each other or the ocean, because they are caught up with making money. Commerce is their passion. So they cut themselves off from love, in an exile of spirit, which causes them to shrivel and suffer emotionally even before the plague comes. Tarrou also describes is own sense of the plague in everyday life when he discovers that his father is a prosecuting attorney who helps bring criminals to the justice of a firing squad. Even that faint connection of not trying to stop the legal killing causes Tarrou to feel like he carries the plague within him.

The book is masterful in its use of metaphor. In the beginning, dying rats and small animals presage the plague attacking humans. At the end, their return presages the return of normal life to Oran. The scenes alternate between illuminating the main themes in the context of the physical plague and the emotional plague. Religion is used as a bridge between the two, raising the fundamental question about what God's purpose is in unleashing the plague. The priest is fully tested in his love of God through this development, which is one of the most moving parts of the book.

I have read the book both in French and in English, and found this translation to be a perfectly appropriate one. There are few nuances that you will miss by reading this in English. Obviously, if you read French well, you should read the book in its original form.

This book is an excellent example of why Albert Camus was named a Nobel Laureate in Literature.

After you read this great novel, I encourage you to consider the subject of complacency. That's the author's ultimate target. Where are you complacent in ways that cost you love, closeness with others, and happiness? What else is complacency costing you? How can you help others learn to overcome complacency in loving, happy ways without the spectre of death to help you?

Enjoy a more wonderful life by refocusing on what is most important!

La Peste (1947)., 29 Dec 2002
The Plague is probably Camus's greatest novel, a wonderful allegory of the Nazi occupation during World War II- it extends its philosophies from Myth of Sisyphus/The Outsider towards a more interesting realm of existentialism- thus, The Rebel is a companion to this text (and would result in the big fall out with Sartre).

As with his other works, this is seemingly simple, perfectly written and completely engaging- as with Kafka's The Castle- a timeless work. In the 3rd paragraph alone he decries the existence we would call the free market (work to shop etc) and thus predates books like Fight Club in that theme. The way this book builds is brilliant- tying in with Bergman's The Seventh Seal: death always there and unavoidable, it chooses its victim with a vague bias...

I don't know if existentialism is out, or whether Camus is in- what I can say is that he is a great writer- much greater than the secondhand associations with pseud's like The Manic Street Preachers- who quote him frequently, as if his genius could sink in by association (though to be fair Scott Walker, The Fall The Cure & Echo and the Bunnymen have made great stuff Camus-inspired). This is one of the most interesting approaches to World War II in cultural form- something that most people now only know through Hollywood entertaiment such as Saving Private Ryan, Pearl Harbor (sic) & Schindler's List.

The Plague is one of the great novels of the 20th century and a book that is more than welcome in this new edition (and both introduction and translation make this a much sounder purchase than the budget edition a pound or so cheaper).

Existentialism as a corollary of underived truth, 04 Sep 2008
An incisive diatribe on conventional rationality, this is in my opinion (and contrary to the views of one didactic reviewer)one of the most profound pieces of literature. It perambulates the existence of a man who eschews a life of corrupted, arbitrary ideology in favour of social aseity.
The writer' s terse, matter of fact treatment of the narrative correlates perfectly with his subversive philosophy that leaves an indelible mark on any reader open minded enough to accept it. The idea that our actions should always be subordinated to and permeated by the unfathomable idea of a god and a fallacious, inequitous set of rules and conventions that distort the truth to suit people' s delusions is discarded with the kind of perspicacious execution the subject deserves. All religion and politics do is teach us to repress and compartmentalise the truth in order that malevolent leviathans can divest us of our individuality and turn us into sequacious, depersonalised morons.
In summary then, take all your absurd beliefs in religion, society, maladroit music, vacuous filmmaking, sycophantic hero-worship of soulless idiots and risible faith in the infallibility of the law and flush it down the toilet where excrement belongs!


Fascinating, 24 May 2008
More of a novella this is regularly featured on such lists of books to read before you die. I personally prefer The Plague by Camus, but this is still a stunning literary work, and definitely worthy of a read.

Meursalt, the 'outsider' of the novel, tells us his brief tale. A man oddly disconnected from the rest of humanity, living on the edges of understanding in terms of social interaction, he comes across as almost autistic in his views of the world. The story takes us from the death of his mother through to his arrest for murder and the trial that ensues.

There is a letter from Camus in which he describe Meursalt as a redeemer figure and a hero whose only sin is to speak the truth of his existence. I don't think this is 100% honest, as despite his alienation there are glimpses of his connection to the world in a kind of wistful, painful manner that make one believe that maybe Meursalt is missing out. It is those brief bubbles of awareness that make him a complex and tragic figure rather than a villain.

A fascinating book, which deals with perception and justice and the nature of right and wrong.

just wanted to add my five stars in the hope of persuading you to buy this book!, 05 Apr 2008
i read this book a couple of days ago and its very good. the story and what it means keeps coming back to me. I think this signifies it is strong and clever book. i also want to lend it to all my friends so we can talk about it.

if you want to read something which will inspire you to think read this. if you want to read something enjoyable and really well written read this. i think basically if you can read, read this!






First masterpiece from Albert Camus; L'Étranger (1942), 29 Feb 2008
The Outsider was first published in Paris in 1942 and would cement it's author's reputation as one of the most intelligent and imaginative writers of the 20th century. It also remains one the best introductions to the realm of existentialist literature - or that so-called sub-genre they dubbed the philosophical novella - in that it combines certain theoretical ideas that were established in the early writings of Jean-Paul Sartre (particularly his novel Nausea and his short story collection, Le Mur) with a more defined sense of narrative, character and attitude towards politics and morality. Because of this, the story is simplified to the point of non-existence, as J.G. Ballard notes in his personal blurb (surmised on the back of the Penguin Classics publication) "it's the story of a beach murder... blood and sand" which, despite giving away a central plot point of the book, destroys none of the tension or emotional connection that we feel for the central character.

It is Camus' genius in pruning the story down to a bare minimum of scenes and supporting characters that gives the book any social or philosophical weight; with the ramifications of the act and the underlining attitude of our protagonist Meursault defining the crux of the book's theoretical debate over notions of narrative unfolding, etc. The slightness of actual narrative (and I use this term lightly, since many great books have needed very little in the way of story to entrance a reader) and the fact that at a mere 118 pages it remains one of the shortest works of fiction, will no doubt alienate many potential readers; which to me, is a great shame. Camus knows that it is the simplicity of the story and the matter-of-fact way in which he uses his prose to detail this bland everyday existence of our "hero" that will elevate his plight come the closing chapters of the book. In this respect, it reminded me very much of Kieslowski's masterpiece A Short Film About Killing, in that we are introduced to this character who, although warm and to some degree capable of love and tenderness (particularly here, if we look at his various relationships throughout the book with Raymond, Marie, even old Salamano, et al), is withdrawn from the world around him and lost within the trivialities of existence; the sun, the beach and the waves.

Camus argument, paraphrased in his after word as the mere notion that "...any man that doesn't cry at his mother's funeral is liable to be condemned to death" acts as a blistering indictment of the judicial system of 1940's Algiers (in the same way that Kieslowski's afore-mentioned film lamented early-80's Poland), as well as the notion of atheism (lets not forget that Sartre described existentialism as "the attempt to draw all the consequences from a position of consistent atheism"), mortality and the importance of fact in the eyes of those that bend the truth to suit their own view of life, seen through the eyes of a character who is so removed from the world around him that he is incapable of bending the truth, even if the truth will only incriminate him further within the misdeeds of the past. Camus book remains as intelligent and relevant today as it did back in 1942, and offers the reader an enticing theoretical parable, relating to the notions of the social and historical unjust.

The writing throughout is atmospheric, and captures the plight of our narrator Meursault, with whom me share a combination of sadness, empathy, pity and remorse. As Ballard points out in his brief summation, this is one of the century's classic novels, which, in my opinion, deserves to be experienced by as many people as possible.

Excellent!, 14 Dec 2007
Meursault is an odd person. The hero's passivity strikes you, but it is his brutal honesty, reminiscent of Dostoevsky's Prince Myshkin, which really stands out. He is the real authentic man, in the existential sense. Alas, he is persecuted for his candidness and approach to life. Camus wrote in "The Myth of Sisyphus" that when one is free of illusions and is faced with the nude absurdity of life one becomes a stranger. In this book, society cannot handle Meursault's authenticity, his strangeness. How dare this man not comply with social conventions? He must be a dangerous misanthrope, a psychopath. And like Christ, he is crucified by reactionaries. He is the absurd hero, that is simply being honest, and for that I have a real admiration for him. Just my take on it anyway . . .

Let the hell of the present be your kingdom, 26 Apr 2007
Albert Camus, who will not call himself a philosopher, who will not "sit on a judge's bench" here, in his essay The Myth of Sisyphus, describes an "absurd sensitivity" he feels prevalent in this age. He is concerned with the principle that "for a man who does not cheat, what he believes to be true must determine his action." Consequently, how should someone, in finding the world absurd, find resource to continue in that world. Indeed, for Camus, "there is but one truly philosophical problem and that is suicide."
He clubs philosophers, scientists and religious acolytes together for their leap into construction and the world of their belief; "the leap does not represent an extreme danger, as Kierkegaard would have it. The danger, on the contrary, lies in the subtle instant that precedes the leap. Being able to remain in that dizzying crest - that is integrity and the rest is subterfuge."
Aware of the dangers of ignorance and enthusiasm, Camus propounds a life of self-exhaustion and permanent revolution, concerned not only with the quality of life, but with its quantity; "a man's rule of conduct and his scale of values have no meaning except through the quantity and variety of experiences he has been able to accumulate." But this is not a blank cheque for violence, "one must not be a dupe", it is the means for art to realise its ultimate importance; "the great work of art has less significance in itself than the ordeal that it demands of the man and the opportunity which it provides him of overcoming his phantoms and approaching a little closer to his naked reality." Absurdity provides us with a justification for authentic creative effort.

Technically, Camus does not impress, as Sartre's or Heidegger's analyses do. But we have to appreciate him on his own terms, he even asks for our "indulgence" in his preface. He is not concerned with drawing up irreproachable ontological walls, building closed systems or universes, but with providing some light by which to see how everything we do is already contained within walls which we only have to create within to be free. Less impressive than his fiction, yes, but still immensely influential.

The five other essays in this collection, especially Summer in Algiers and The Minotaur, both lyrical eulogies to the cities and the country in Africa, provide counterweight to the main essay; uneasy as a philosopher, here Camus shows his true colours, simply those of a great writer.

outstanding, 14 Nov 2006
Parts of this book are revalatory. The account of someone "awakening to absurdity" - the sense of meaninglessness which render everyday gestures and actions seem unreal, staged - is masterly. But it is how he expands upon this that makes this book consructive - can 'man' find away out of this malaise towards new connection's or is suicide the only free act left to him? Camus' says that concomitant to the feeling of absurdity is a loss of hope - instead of projections into the future, all that man can possibly do is effect a revolt in the present against "his obscurity". It is the possibility of establishing a "new way of seeing" through which (ermm...) redemption could come.

The Paradox of Life: Meaningful or Absurd?, 06 May 2006
The myth of Sisyphus is an ancient Greek myth - the
book of the same name by Camus is about the
philosophy of suicide, or rather the absurdity of
life. He believed suicide to be the only proper
subject of philosophy. Albert Camus, like Jean Paul Sartre (e.g., in Sartre's _Age of Reason_), is brilliant at
conveying his [existentialist] philosophy through his
novels and plays.

Sisyphus was a Greek hero, i.e., less than a god
but higher than a man and consequently is doomed to
never die. As you know, the ancient Greeks and Romans
believed the heavens above are occupied by Heroes
and Villains slugging it out eternally: the age-old
belief in the never-ending fight between good and
evil (cf. St George vs the dragon] even as we speak.

Sisyphus's task is to forever roll a massive boulder
up a mountain, for each step forward, the boulder
rolls two steps back, so of course he never reaches
the top for all his toils as he has to forever begin again from the bottom.

Camus takes as his premise, the dualistic nature of life: we strive to make life meaningful, and yet the end result is death. English intellectuals tend to be quite pusillanimous on a topic whose logical conclusion is that the only meaningful solution to the absurdity of life and the dearth of religion is suicide (Camus is atheist), for it follows the dualistism of existence (light/dark, male/female, day/night, etc).





Too dense and obscure, 15 Oct 2005
I am a huge fan of Camus, and absurdism is a view of life that has a lot of meaning for me, so I had high hopes for this collection of essays, famed for being the definitive absurdist statement. Unfortunately I was left hugely disappointed.
The first half of the book is given to a series of essays discussing the implications of absurdism for our reasoning, for the priorities we choose in life ('The Absurd Man') and the purpose of art ('Absurd Creation'). These essays are dense, wordy and obscure, and Camus' unusually verbose prose and vague language served only to confuse his message. I think that I understand Camus' ideas reasonably well from his fiction, and these essays clarified very little. The essay 'The Myth of Sisyphus' is tiny by comparison, only four pages, but it succeeded for me where the others fail. It is vintage Camus, beautifully setting up his ideas simply and directly. The rest of the book can be left aside, but this one short essay is essential for Camus fans. The rest of the book is given to essays that are part absurdist philosophy, part prose poem about life in Algeria. They are strangely compelling, and show where I think that Camus' strength lies, in subtly combining philosophy and art. The early essays are too self-consciously pompous. The later ones are Camus on top form.
In short, I found that I didn't gain much from reading this collection that I hadn't already got from Camus' vastly preferable fiction ('The Outsider', 'The Plague', 'Exile and the Kingdom'), and would really recommend reading the latter in preference to this collection. Having said that, 'The Myth of Sisyphus' does have some excellent moments, but I found too much of it to be hard work.

Camus' philosphy, 19 Aug 2002
If you are at all interested in Camus' philosophy you must read these thoughts on the Human Condition based around the story of Sysiphus who was condemned to pushing a great boulder to the top of a mountain only to see it rolling back to the bottom again. Camus' thoughts are not as bleak as pessimists might first imagine. Essential reading for insights into 20th century takes on the absurdity of out condition.

Brilliant!, 24 Nov 2007
Book arrived 3 days late but was well worth the wait. Is an amazing book, highly reccomend!

The Outsider is a good book, 29 Apr 2004
Meursault is my umost hero because he operates entirely according to hisown considerations. Most discussions of the book on the internet areawful. Meursault is not indifferent to the conventions of his society,and he has certainly made no choice to reject them. He is an impossiblecharacter, the perfect existential consciousness if you like. Theopinions, standards or ideas of anyone but himself are irrelevant to him. He has not reached this position through any thought process: he simplyhappens to be the epitome of philosophical egoism, individualism, moralrelativism. He cannot in fact be a creation in real human society. It ismeaningless to approve or disapprove of him because he is firstlyimpossible in reality, and secondly has not made himself the way he is. He is heroic because he is utterly himself, an unattainable transcendentperfection for anybody who wants to live by their own personal judgements. Analysis of the role of the sun is also poor: the ascent and power of thesun destroy the shadows which everything 'other' casts on Meursault, thatis the impositions of the world on his individualism. When Meursaultshoots, he is overcome only by the dazzling absurdity and meaninglessnessof existence and consciousness, which can be seen if all outsideimpositions are wiped out. PS read Crime And Punishment to seeRaskolnikoff try to reach Meursault-esque individualist morality: and whathappens to someone who does this.

Didn't enjoy it at all, 26 May 2003
It could be the fact that I was forced to read it for A Level French, but I really disliked this book! I found it had no real story line, there was next to no characterisation, and you didn't feel anything for the main character, Mersault. It seemed to simply be someone moaning about their life, while not being prepared to do anything about it. Mersault is very antagonistic, not willing to make any effort to get along with people, and he was impossible to relate to.

All in all, I'd recommend giving this book a wide berth!

C'est le livre le plus magnifique que j'ai jamais lu, 11 Aug 1999
Meursault est un homme tres irrationel, il n'aime pas conformer avec les regles de notre societe. Peut-etre comme Albert Camus lui-meme. Le roman commence a se trouver en Algerie et Meursault est venu de perdre sa mere. Il decrivait l'enterrement mais on ne trouve aucunes emotiones. Bien que tout n'aille pas bien pour M. Meursault, le directeur de l'asile soupconnait que Meursault n'a pas de problemes avec la morte de sa mere. Il n'a pas pleure a l'enterrement mais puis il ne disait rien. Meursault retourne chez lui et il fait connaitre des amis: Raymond et sa nana Marie. On lit des petits aventures de Meursault et sa maniere de vivre, et plus important sa vue de notre societe. Camus a dit que << Meursault est peut-etre le seulement Jesus Christ qu'on merite>> et je pense que vous devez trouver pourquoi il a dit ca. J'ai lu ce roman plus que trente fois je veux le lire encore

The opening sentence that grabbed my attention!!, 09 Aug 1999
I am yet to find an Engllish translation of L'Etranger which does full justice to both Camus and L'Etranger. I have read this book several times in both English and French and I still find the original french version to be much more hard hitting. Any author who can grab the reader's attention from the very first sentence through to the last word deserves respect and acknowledgement. Camus manages this spectacularly - making the reader and society feel on the outside.

The novel focuses on Meursault, a man who kills an Arab 'a cause du soleil'. Meursault is then condemned, not for the murder of the Arab, but for his lack of belief in God, not crying at his mother's funeral and for telling the truth in a country and period of time where it would have been possible for him to lie and escape without punishment. It also examines the values of society during this time.

Contrary to my fellow students last year, I found this novel to be optomisitic - Meursault lived his life the way he wanted. I only found pessimism when Meursault was taken away from the things he loved - the sun, the beach and the sky.

Try to read this in French, if you can. I still feel so much of the meaning and feeling is lost in the translation - but just read it anyway!!!!!!

Changed Perspectives from Threat of Imminent Death, 03 Aug 2004
The Plague is about love, exile, and suffering as illuminated by living around death.

What is the meaning of life? For many, that question is an abstraction except in the context of being aware of losing some of the joys of life, or life itself. In The Plague, Camus creates a timeless tale of humans caught in the jaws of implacable death, in this case a huge outbreak of bubonic plague in Oran, Algeria on the north African coast. With the possibility of dying so close, each character comes to see his or her life differently. In a sense, we each get a glimpse of what we, too, may think about life in the last hours and days before our own deaths. The Plague will leave you with a sense of death as real rather than as an abstraction. Then by reflecting in the mirror of that death, you can see life more clearly.

For example, what role would you take if bubonic plague were to be unleashed in your community? Would you flee? Would you help relieve the suffering? Would you become a profiteer? Would you help maintain order? Would you withdraw or seek out others? These are all important questions for helping you understand yourself that this powerful novel will raise for you.

The book is described as objectively as possible by a narrator, who is one of the key figures in the drama. That literary device allows each of us to insert ourselves into the situation.

Let me explain the main themes. Love is expressed in many ways. There is the love of men and women for each other. Dr. Rieux's wife is ill, and has just left for treatment at a sanitarium. Rambert, a journalist on temporary assignment, is separated from his live-in girl friend in Paris. Dr. Rieux's mother comes to stay with him during his mother's absence, so there is also love of parent and child. The magistrate also loses his son to the plague after a desperate battle. Separations occur because of the quarantine on Oran, which causes love to be tested. What is love without the other person being present? The characters find that their memories soon become abstractions. But they reach out to establish new love with each other. Tarrou, who is also caught in Oran, decides or organize a volunteer corps to help with the sick and dead. Rambert decides to stay in Oran to help after having arranged to escape the quarantine. The survivors find succor in increasing closeness with each other. Rieux and Tarrou become close, almost like brothers. Even Rieux's patients become people with whom he develops an emotional bond, even though the waves of death become an abstraction as he can do little to avert them. The priest figure also helps to explore the notion of love for God and God's love for us. The exile theme is reinforced by the quarantine. People cannot leave Oran. The disease itself causes that exile to become worse. If someone in your household becomes ill, each well person has to be quarantined. So you may be living in a tent in the soccer stadium wondering what is happening to the rest of your family. Cottard is a criminal who is on the run from the authorities. He is in despair as the plague begins, and tries to kill himself. The distractions of the plague keep the authorities from troubling him, so the period of the plague is an exile from his criminal past.

Suffering is easy to explain. Bubonic plague came in two forms in the book. Both brought painful and rapid death, with few reprieves. There is high fever, painful swelling or difficulty in breathing, and enormous pain. Those who tend the suffering also suffer, from the enormous workloads, the sense of futility, and the fear that they, too, will be next.

Camus does a nice job of pointing out that these themes also recur in everyday life. We just don't see them very clearly. The people in Oran live in an ugly city that deliberately built itself away from the beauty of the ocean on a sun-scorched plateau plagued by winds. They take little time to enjoy each other or the ocean, because they are caught up with making money. Commerce is their passion. So they cut themselves off from love, in an exile of spirit, which causes them to shrivel and suffer emotionally even before the plague comes. Tarrou also describes is own sense of the plague in everyday life when he discovers that his father is a prosecuting attorney who helps bring criminals to the justice of a firing squad. Even that faint connection of not trying to stop the legal killing causes Tarrou to feel like he carries the plague within him.

The book is masterful in its use of metaphor. In the beginning, dying rats and small animals presage the plague attacking humans. At the end, their return presages the return of normal life to Oran. The scenes alternate between illuminating the main themes in the context of the physical plague and the emotional plague. Religion is used as a bridge between the two, raising the fundamental question about what God's purpose is in unleashing the plague. The priest is fully tested in his love of God through this development, which is one of the most moving parts of the book.

I have read the book both in French and in English, and found this translation to be a perfectly appropriate one. There are few nuances that you will miss by reading this in English. Obviously, if you read French well, you should read the book in its original form.

This book is an excellent example of why Albert Camus was named a Nobel Laureate in Literature.

After you read this great novel, I encourage you to consider the subject of complacency. That's the author's ultimate target. Where are you complacent in ways that cost you love, closeness with others, and happiness? What else is complacency costing you? How can you help others learn to overcome complacency in loving, happy ways without the spectre of death to help you?

Enjoy a more wonderful life by refocusing on what is most important!

La Peste (1947)., 29 Dec 2002
The Plague is probably Camus's greatest novel, a wonderful allegory of the Nazi occupation during World War II- it extends its philosophies from Myth of Sisyphus/The Outsider towards a more interesting realm of existentialism- thus, The Rebel is a companion to this text (and would result in the big fall out with Sartre).

As with his other works, this is seemingly simple, perfectly written and completely engaging- as with Kafka's The Castle- a timeless work. In the 3rd paragraph alone he decries the existence we would call the free market (work to shop etc) and thus predates books like Fight Club in that theme. The way this book builds is brilliant- tying in with Bergman's The Seventh Seal: death always there and unavoidable, it chooses its victim with a vague bias...

I don't know if existentialism is out, or whether Camus is in- what I can say is that he is a great writer- much greater than the secondhand associations with pseud's like The Manic Street Preachers- who quote him frequently, as if his genius could sink in by association (though to be fair Scott Walker, The Fall The Cure & Echo and the Bunnymen have made great stuff Camus-inspired). This is one of the most interesting approaches to World War II in cultural form- something that most people now only know through Hollywood entertaiment such as Saving Private Ryan, Pearl Harbor (sic) & Schindler's List.

The Plague is one of the great novels of the 20th century and a book that is more than welcome in this new edition (and both introduction and translation make this a much sounder purchase than the budget edition a pound or so cheaper).

lovely little book, 11 Nov 2008
deserves 5 stars; since i havent read all his book i am hesistant to give 5 stars so just 4 stars for now. this is a monologue and shows the hollowness of ones existence. Solution--NO!!

Existentialism as a corollary of underived truth, 04 Sep 2008
An incisive diatribe on conventional rationality, this is in my opinion (and contrary to the views of one didactic reviewer)one of the most profound pieces of literature. It perambulates the existence of a man who eschews a life of corrupted, arbitrary ideology in favour of social aseity.
The writer' s terse, matter of fact treatment of the narrative correlates perfectly with his subversive philosophy that leaves an indelible mark on any reader open minded enough to accept it. The idea that our actions should always be subordinated to and permeated by the unfathomable idea of a god and a fallacious, inequitous set of rules and conventions that distort the truth to suit people' s delusions is discarded with the kind of perspicacious execution the subject deserves. All religion and politics do is teach us to repress and compartmentalise the truth in order that malevolent leviathans can divest us of our individuality and turn us into sequacious, depersonalised morons.
In summary then, take all your absurd beliefs in religion, society, maladroit music, vacuous filmmaking, sycophantic hero-worship of soulless idiots and risible faith in the infallibility of the law and flush it down the toilet where excrement belongs!


Fascinating, 24 May 2008
More of a novella this is regularly featured on such lists of books to read before you die. I personally prefer The Plague by Camus, but this is still a stunning literary work, and definitely worthy of a read.

Meursalt, the 'outsider' of the novel, tells us his brief tale. A man oddly disconnected from the rest of humanity, living on the edges of understanding in terms of social interaction, he comes across as almost autistic in his views of the world. The story takes us from the death of his mother through to his arrest for murder and the trial that ensues.

There is a letter from Camus in which he describe Meursalt as a redeemer figure and a hero whose only sin is to speak the truth of his existence. I don't think this is 100% honest, as despite his alienation there are glimpses of his connection to the world in a kind of wistful, painful manner that make one believe that maybe Meursalt is missing out. It is those brief bubbles of awareness that make him a complex and tragic figure rather than a villain.

A fascinating book, which deals with perception and justice and the nature of right and wrong.

just wanted to add my five stars in the hope of persuading you to buy this book!, 05 Apr 2008
i read this book a couple of days ago and its very good. the story and what it means keeps coming back to me. I think this signifies it is strong and clever book. i also want to lend it to all my friends so we can talk about it.

if you want to read something which will inspire you to think read this. if you want to read something enjoyable and really well written read this. i think basically if you can read, read this!






First masterpiece from Albert Camus; L'Étranger (1942), 29 Feb 2008
The Outsider was first published in Paris in 1942 and would cement it's author's reputation as one of the most intelligent and imaginative writers of the 20th century. It also remains one the best introductions to the realm of existentialist literature - or that so-called sub-genre they dubbed the philosophical novella - in that it combines certain theoretical ideas that were established in the early writings of Jean-Paul Sartre (particularly his novel Nausea and his short story collection, Le Mur) with a more defined sense of narrative, character and attitude towards politics and morality. Because of this, the story is simplified to the point of non-existence, as J.G. Ballard notes in his personal blurb (surmised on the back of the Penguin Classics publication) "it's the story of a beach murder... blood and sand" which, despite giving away a central plot point of the book, destroys none of the tension or emotional connection that we feel for the central character.

It is Camus' genius in pruning the story down to a bare minimum of scenes and supporting characters that gives the book any social or philosophical weight; with the ramifications of the act and the underlining attitude of our protagonist Meursault defining the crux of the book's theoretical debate over notions of narrative unfolding, etc. The slightness of actual narrative (and I use this term lightly, since many great books have needed very little in the way of story to entrance a reader) and the fact that at a mere 118 pages it remains one of the shortest works of fiction, will no doubt alienate many potential readers; which to me, is a great shame. Camus knows that it is the simplicity of the story and the matter-of-fact way in which he uses his prose to detail this bland everyday existence of our "hero" that will elevate his plight come the closing chapters of the book. In this respect, it reminded me very much of Kieslowski's masterpiece A Short Film About Killing, in that we are introduced to this character who, although warm and to some degree capable of love and tenderness (particularly here, if we look at his various relationships throughout the book with Raymond, Marie, even old Salamano, et al), is withdrawn from the world around him and lost within the trivialities of existence; the sun, the beach and the waves.

Camus argument, paraphrased in his after word as the mere notion that "...any man that doesn't cry at his mother's funeral is liable to be condemned to death" acts as a blistering indictment of the judicial system of 1940's Algiers (in the same way that Kieslowski's afore-mentioned film lamented early-80's Poland), as well as the notion of atheism (lets not forge