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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really a 2.5-It was okay, but not in a bad-connotation okay. I can't really say I liked it though. The way I feel about this book is the way our main character views the entire world: meh. I think it's interesting to note that Camus lived during WWII and therefore experienced the horrific genocide in Europe. In this way, it's understandable to see how he came to believe that we are not here for some higher moral purpose, not when millions of people are senselessly dying. Just like Meursault just went along his life taking things day by day, not really focusing on the past or even the near future, I read this book page by page, not really caring what happened anywhere else in the book. Still, like I said, this is an interesting perspective, one that was worth reading, even if it felt like I was reading a whole bunch of nothing.
The thing about this book was that the writing style easily mirrored the attitude expressed by Meursault, our amoral and unfeeling main character. The writing is extremely simple, many times having very short sentences without any adjectives. Simply the subject-verb-maybe direct object template. In one part of the book Meursault is offered a job in Paris, one that could be seen as a very lucrative step in advancing his career, yet he responds to it indifferently, saying that he heard Paris was dirty. He even explicitly says that he had never been able to think past the day, nor has he ever really been able to show emotion. Even other characters, like the old man with his dog are portrayed very flatly. The man constantly abuses his dog, and the dog continuously forgets this, yet they are still together. There is no ultimate goal. It is what it is.
I don't know if I started getting tired by the last chapter of the book, but I swear there was some kind of tone shift. All of a sudden Meursault began contemplating life, writing in these long sentences and asking specific questions. The writing seemed to definitely be different than the writing in the rest of the book. All of a sudden it was like he actually had feelings. It was more obviously shown with his outburst with the champlain, but even before it was like the chapter had stepped into a new realm.
So, this book wasn't great or enlightening in any special way, but I enjoyed a new perspective on life. It was an easy read and didn't take up too much of my life, so again, all I have to say about this book really is, meh.
The thing about this book was that the writing style easily mirrored the attitude expressed by Meursault, our amoral and unfeeling main character. The writing is extremely simple, many times having very short sentences without any adjectives. Simply the subject-verb-maybe direct object template. In one part of the book Meursault is offered a job in Paris, one that could be seen as a very lucrative step in advancing his career, yet he responds to it indifferently, saying that he heard Paris was dirty. He even explicitly says that he had never been able to think past the day, nor has he ever really been able to show emotion. Even other characters, like the old man with his dog are portrayed very flatly. The man constantly abuses his dog, and the dog continuously forgets this, yet they are still together. There is no ultimate goal. It is what it is.
I don't know if I started getting tired by the last chapter of the book, but I swear there was some kind of tone shift. All of a sudden Meursault began contemplating life, writing in these long sentences and asking specific questions. The writing seemed to definitely be different than the writing in the rest of the book. All of a sudden it was like he actually had feelings. It was more obviously shown with his outburst with the champlain, but even before it was like the chapter had stepped into a new realm.
So, this book wasn't great or enlightening in any special way, but I enjoyed a new perspective on life. It was an easy read and didn't take up too much of my life, so again, all I have to say about this book really is, meh.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I am a Camus fangirly, so this rating is biased.
Other than that, this is a novel where every sentence feels justified. It is short and straight to the point.
Other than that, this is a novel where every sentence feels justified. It is short and straight to the point.
Is this a recommended read: Yes, especially if you enjoy philosophy or is just interested in learning about life from the perspective of a nihilist.
I will be back for this novel after I have learned French so I can read it in the original language.