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zander_egervari's review against another edition
It was interesting to see Absurdism's classic three responses on full display. The first option is seen in Cottard, who is burdened by guilt. After his failed attempt on his life, he finds refuge in other people suffering until the plague's abrupt conclusion, which he is ill-equipped to handle. The second option is demonstrated through Father Paneloux, who tries to control the masses and provide asylum in religion. However, after a rattling incident, Paneloux's faith in God shatters, finding himself forsaken amongst the masses. As for the third option, Rieux and a couple of others recognize the absurd and their probable demise but find meaning in their lives by treating others. Overall great read, The Plague is an excellent exhibition of the philosophy of absurdism.
Also cool to see Camus make references to his other works
Also cool to see Camus make references to his other works
hanzy's review against another edition
4.0
I'm glad I read this after the pandemic. It hits different when you've experienced something similar and I'm quite certain I wouldn't have appreciated this book as much had I read it before. It raises tonnes of questions, especially those in regards to morality and existence.
savaging's review against another edition
4.0
"all alike were pledged to an ugly but recorded death, and, amidst noxious fumes and the muted clang of ambulances, all of us ate the same sour bread of exile, unconsciously waiting for the same reunion, the same miracle of peace regained. No doubt our love persisted, but in practice it served nothing; it was an inert mass within us, sterile as crime or a life sentence.
This book fails as a novel, but is well worth the read as an essay. Like Dostoevsky with Brothers Karamazov, Camus falls into the "Pilgrim's Progress" trap, making each character synonymous with a different virtue or vice. The plague itself is an extended metaphor for the inevitable suffering and injustice in the world.
But read as an essay or atheist morality play, it can make sense why the characters are spending the entire time conversing articulately on the right way to live, rather than speaking the tense gibberish proper to a raging health crisis. Reading the book as an essay also means a different pace: you'd normally think an apocalypse story would move rapidly, since so many people can't die without events happening. But this book is meant to be read slowly and philosophically.
Another unfortunate failing of Camus is his masculinist view. For one thing this means a book populated with male characters. Females are on the fringes, and hardly ever speak. Surely they don't much think. They don't have the same urgent interest in living rightly that the male characters do. Secondly, this also means a world in which emotions are and ought to be swallowed, because repressing the way you feel is very manly. Big boys don't cry, even in apocalypse.
All of that being said, there are true moments of brilliance (how to be an "innocent murderer"), and even loveable characters (the cackling, bean-counting asthmatic, or toothless Grand, who spends all of his free time writing and rewriting the first sentence of a book that will dazzle the world).
This book fails as a novel, but is well worth the read as an essay. Like Dostoevsky with Brothers Karamazov, Camus falls into the "Pilgrim's Progress" trap, making each character synonymous with a different virtue or vice. The plague itself is an extended metaphor for the inevitable suffering and injustice in the world.
But read as an essay or atheist morality play, it can make sense why the characters are spending the entire time conversing articulately on the right way to live, rather than speaking the tense gibberish proper to a raging health crisis. Reading the book as an essay also means a different pace: you'd normally think an apocalypse story would move rapidly, since so many people can't die without events happening. But this book is meant to be read slowly and philosophically.
Another unfortunate failing of Camus is his masculinist view. For one thing this means a book populated with male characters. Females are on the fringes, and hardly ever speak. Surely they don't much think. They don't have the same urgent interest in living rightly that the male characters do. Secondly, this also means a world in which emotions are and ought to be swallowed, because repressing the way you feel is very manly. Big boys don't cry, even in apocalypse.
All of that being said, there are true moments of brilliance (how to be an "innocent murderer"), and even loveable characters (the cackling, bean-counting asthmatic, or toothless Grand, who spends all of his free time writing and rewriting the first sentence of a book that will dazzle the world).
pflichtfeld20's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
federico13's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
gijshuppertz's review against another edition
4.0
Over deze hedendaags relevante roman heb ik een videorecensie gemaakt. Ik hoop dat het bevalt!
https://youtu.be/uIe-o1n3gro
https://youtu.be/uIe-o1n3gro
gijshuppertz's review against another edition
4.0
De Pest (La Peste) van Albert Camus uit 1947. Een relevanter boek voor de afgelopen twee jaar is er niet te bedenken. In De Pest bevinden we ons in de fictieve stad Oran in Frankrijk. Deze stad word plots getroffen door een dodelijk virus en word daarom volledig afgesloten van toegang van buitenaf. Binnen in de stad gaat het leven door en volgen wij enkele karakters en hoe zij om gaan met de existentiële angst die de pest met zich mee brengt. Wie het boek nu leest zal enkele bizarre gelijkenissen zien tussen de huidige pandemie en dat wat Camus beschrijft. Zo volgen wij tijdelijk een priester in de lokale kerk van Oran die in eerste instantie predikt dat wijzelf verantwoordelijk zijn voor het lijden dat wij nu ondervinden. We leefde niet dicht bij God en hebben gezondigd en daarom verdienen wij deze straf. Later als deze priester een onschuldig kind ziet overlijden wijzigt de preek naar een meer overgevende boodschap, wij weten niet wat Gods plan is, maar als we geloven in Gods liefde doorkomen we deze pandemie. De eerste preek heb ik vrij letterlijk herhaald zien worden aan de start van de pandemie, de tweede nog niet, maar laten we blij zijn dat de pandemie niet zo hevig is geworden dat we tot dermate wanhoop werden gedreven.
Het wederkerende thema van het boek is; hoe om te gaan met de dood. Dan specifieker nog, hoe om te gaan met het absurde van het leven. We zijn hier en het leven heeft geen inherente betekenis, maar wat doen we hier dan en waarom zouden we het niet direct beëindigen, hoe ga je om met de confrontatie van het leven. Sommige zoeken hoop bij de priester en anderen vervallen in hedonisme, waar ligt de juiste weg en dan met de dood om de hoek, hoe handel je dan? Buiten het behandelen van deze boodschappen toont Camus een bijzondere uiteenzetting van bijvoorbeeld overheidfalen in tijden van nood, rouw en de constante confrontatie met de dood. Ik vond het alhoewel het soms langdradig was, een mooi en bijzonder boek, waarvan ik helaas bang ben dat het nog vele pandemieën accuraat zal zijn.
https://ongeduld.com/2021/11/01/de-pest-van-albert-camus/
Het wederkerende thema van het boek is; hoe om te gaan met de dood. Dan specifieker nog, hoe om te gaan met het absurde van het leven. We zijn hier en het leven heeft geen inherente betekenis, maar wat doen we hier dan en waarom zouden we het niet direct beëindigen, hoe ga je om met de confrontatie van het leven. Sommige zoeken hoop bij de priester en anderen vervallen in hedonisme, waar ligt de juiste weg en dan met de dood om de hoek, hoe handel je dan? Buiten het behandelen van deze boodschappen toont Camus een bijzondere uiteenzetting van bijvoorbeeld overheidfalen in tijden van nood, rouw en de constante confrontatie met de dood. Ik vond het alhoewel het soms langdradig was, een mooi en bijzonder boek, waarvan ik helaas bang ben dat het nog vele pandemieën accuraat zal zijn.
https://ongeduld.com/2021/11/01/de-pest-van-albert-camus/
raizingfit's review against another edition
2.0
Te lo agradezco, pero no.
El libro no es malo, sencillamente considero no es para mi. Me lo encontré lentísimo y pesadísimo, a veces repetitivo. Sin embargo contiene frases profundas con las que te podrías identificar y que dan cabida a la reflexión y a filosofar. Lo vivido en pandemia en 2020-2021 se refleja en este libro y trae esos recuerdos.
Me hubiese gustado tener una mejor experiencia con esta lectura, no creo que la vuelva a leer.
El libro no es malo, sencillamente considero no es para mi. Me lo encontré lentísimo y pesadísimo, a veces repetitivo. Sin embargo contiene frases profundas con las que te podrías identificar y que dan cabida a la reflexión y a filosofar. Lo vivido en pandemia en 2020-2021 se refleja en este libro y trae esos recuerdos.
Me hubiese gustado tener una mejor experiencia con esta lectura, no creo que la vuelva a leer.
james2529's review against another edition
4.5
I really loved this book. The description of plague was really chilling and evocative and there was a huge amount of great language and writing.
A few scenes really stand out - the deaths of the boy and Tarrou, the meeting between the main characters where they argued about the phrasing of a statement which is immediately followed by the shock of a woman dying.
There are several long descriptions of setting or atmosphere that are absolutely incredible.
However, I hate the parts where Camus insists on telling us that this story was collated from different diaries and eyewitness testimonies. He keeps slamming it in your face for no reason at all and it ruins your immersion in the book.
My edition had an amazing afterword that gave a biography of Camus and explored how he used this book as a metaphor for German occupation of France in the 1940s. This was really fascinating to read.
A few scenes really stand out - the deaths of the boy and Tarrou, the meeting between the main characters where they argued about the phrasing of a statement which is immediately followed by the shock of a woman dying.
There are several long descriptions of setting or atmosphere that are absolutely incredible.
However, I hate the parts where Camus insists on telling us that this story was collated from different diaries and eyewitness testimonies. He keeps slamming it in your face for no reason at all and it ruins your immersion in the book.
My edition had an amazing afterword that gave a biography of Camus and explored how he used this book as a metaphor for German occupation of France in the 1940s. This was really fascinating to read.