The Stranger – Albert Camus

I remember reading somewhere that the first page of this book was revolutionary in existentialist literature, and to be honest I didn’t get it the first time round. As I progressed through the first part of the book I would constantly head back to page 1 and reread the lines “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know.” and I slowly began to comprehend the power of those words. The novel whilst short is remarkably dense in narrative. I have developed this theme throughout my reading where I am delving into the ‘Classics’ that are on every must read list thinking they will be infatuating and narratively rich, this theory rang true throughout this book.

The book presents an existential masterpiece, Camus depicts the philosophical tenet of absurdity to express meaning to the meaningless. Meursault depicts emotionless observations of the world around him, he expresses no particular joy or happiness in the world or its events. One particular moment I enjoyed was the funeral procession , with the elderly man (lover of the mother) slowly falling behind and taking shortcuts to catch up with the group, displaying some very dark humour.

Meursault’s thoughts and emotionless behaviour lead him to engage in irrational and disorderly actions, eventuating in the murder of the Arab man on the beach. The existentialism is rife here with the depiction of an individual as a free and responsible agent through their own acts of will shown in Meursault. Camus presents the idea that life is purposeless and that death is the only certainty in life during the section depicting Meursault’s arrest. Meursault accepts this and understands that there is no difference whether he is executed now or dies naturally in 20 years. This realisation liberates him from the fantasy of being able to escape his inevitable execution.

Meursault has this fascination that is present throughout the novel with the physical world and how it impacts his life rather than focusing on the emotions that may arise. This is depicted masterfully in the funeral as he sheds no tears but expresses his discomfort with the sun beating down on him during the procession. This is also continued in Marie’s proposal to him, he exhibits no emotion to the prospect of marriage, he understands the societal norm associated with marriage but expresses his lack of concern for such norms. He is absent during Camus’ illustration of emotion, but entirely present when the detailing the vivid environment surrounding him.

Overall, the book is excellent and is a stunning illustration of Existentialism and Absurdism, two philosophical ideologies that intrigue me. I enjoyed the style of writing and the elaborate descriptions of the environment. It really really allowed me develop a keen fascination with North Africa.

Feeling a firm 8.7/10 for this one. Definitely deserving of the Classic title.