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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautiful prose and exposition of death and suffering. Important themes to remember in a time where we fail to appreciate the joyful simplicity of living. Got a little lost remembering the names of all the characters though.
WHY DID TARROU HAVE TO DIE OMG CAMUS I’M FINDING A WAY TO RESURRECT YOU JUST TO KILL YOU AGAIN
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this on a plane, and the guy next to me commented "pretty dry read, huh?" He was reading a Jack Ryan novel.
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Reading this in 2020 feels like looking into a mirror. It's almost prophetical the way Camus knew how plagues started and extended, disrupting society and human behavior. But of course, it's not that he was a seer, but a great observer of human nature and of the absurd of life and death, and how death, plague and disaster are always looming around the corner.
I'd say it's a bit of a hard read, since quarantine is in literature almost as uneventful as in real life, but as you understand the characters and their existential thoughts and changes throughout the pandemic it gets a lot better; I enjoyed it more towards the end and after finishing it and reflecting on it. Camus show brilliantly shows us how society negates disaster when it threatens their normality, even if it's right under their noses, and how it will soon forget any lesson learned after disaster goes away, as our current times prove.
I'd say it's a bit of a hard read, since quarantine is in literature almost as uneventful as in real life, but as you understand the characters and their existential thoughts and changes throughout the pandemic it gets a lot better; I enjoyed it more towards the end and after finishing it and reflecting on it. Camus show brilliantly shows us how society negates disaster when it threatens their normality, even if it's right under their noses, and how it will soon forget any lesson learned after disaster goes away, as our current times prove.
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Sickly summer continues! I happened to read this after Everything is Tuberculosis by coincidence but I guess I should keep the theme going. Quite the challenging read because of pacing and vocabulary (extremely helpful for GRE prep, I'll say), but a timeless story with compelling philosophies around disease and life. I also wasn't expecting some of the character sentiments to resonate with me too! Tarrou you would have loved Twelve Angry Men.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Suicide attempt, Pandemic/Epidemic
dark
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
A truly insightful view of a society’s beliefs, fears, and ambitions in the midst of devastation. There is a lot to say about how individuals as well as a community handle such a scary and unknown danger, Camus captured that whole-heartedly. This is in many ways a very cathartic reading experience in a post-covid world and I highly suggest this to anyone who feels as if our recent pandemic in 2020 left you with unanswered questions and hard to explain emotions.
My only gripe is that this book started to drag at the midway point, almost as if the same idea was being repeated in different ways. After some reflection, that could be a purposeful decision in order to mirror the characters’ dread at the height of their plague.
My only gripe is that this book started to drag at the midway point, almost as if the same idea was being repeated in different ways. After some reflection, that could be a purposeful decision in order to mirror the characters’ dread at the height of their plague.