The Stranger by Albert Camus (Review)
Over the years, I have encountered so many references to The Stranger by Albert Camus, and I finally decided there was no reason to put off a 100-page book. I’m glad that I did, and I recommend it, especially for anyone who is in the same camp of thinking, “I really should read that one.” It’s a quick, engaging read with a compelling story. Whether you read The Stranger because it’s a worthwhile story or if you want a thinking book to explore existentialism, it works both ways. I am certainly glad I checked this book off my list.
Both life and death came across as meaningless and absurd—largely indifference through every development. Meursault is the main character, and Camus tells the story in a first-person narrative. The perspective works well to show the hollowness that Meursault so often feels. Interestingly, despite the original translation to The Stranger as the title. British translations opt for The Outsider. The latter strikes me as better representing the distinctions between what Meursault feels versus what other characters seem to experience.
One theme I kept returning to during my reading was the comparison to Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. Both lay out the psychological consequences of crime. Yet unlike Dostoevsky's path of redemption, there is mere indifference in The Stranger. If someone is looking for answers rather than questions, then Camus may not be for you. Meursault’s path in life reveals non-conformity and emotional distance—an outsider from start to finish.
The Stranger raises the basic question: “what is the meaning of it all?” and “how does an individual make it in this world.” The Stranger raises these questions rather than providing answers—other than pointing readers to the idea that each person must individually determine the answers. It is the raising of these questions that suggests The Stranger is ideal as a discussion book. But even without a good discussion group, Camus provides a thought-provoking story that’s worth considering after you’re finished reading.
