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tadge_'s review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
helluvanimmigrant's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jake_alexander_'s review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
klaws500's review against another edition
5.0
“It was as if that great rush of anger had washed me clean, emptied me of hope, and, staring up at the dark sky spangled with its signs and stars, for the first time, the first, I laid my heart open to the benign indifference of the universe.”
I am an absurdist through and through, and this passage near the end of Camus’ brief, but much greater than the sum of its parts, novella The Stranger is stirring and satisfying in a way that I don't often come across in literature. It's hard to accept let alone embrace the indifference of the universe, but beyond nihilism lies a place where we are free to make our own meaning, and to reject the so-called wisdom of society, which mostly just amounts to the wishful thinking of frightened and clueless people anyway. Meursault's angry rebuttal to the chaplain who comes to see him against his will in prison speaks to me on such a deep level that I suspect I will read that scene again and again whenever people are trying to make assertions of inherent meaning to me in this world that is so clearly devoid of it. I, too, have laid my heart open to the benign indifference of the universe and, like Meursault, like Sisyphus, I find that I am happy.
strad78's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
lenamittermaier1's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookslayer99's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 3.5/5 stars. 3 stars would discredit this book.
The Stranger is a novel that challenged me with its portrayal of a protagonist, Meursault, who is detached from life in a way that feels both unsettling and intriguing. While Meursault often seems indifferent to major life events—his mother’s death, committing a murder—he inconsistently finds joy in small, almost trivial things, like the smell of Marie’s perfume on his pillow or the satisfaction of smoking a cigarette.
The novel’s brevity and Meursault’s simplified character serve the philosophical point Camus is making about absurdism, but they also create a portrayal that might seem exaggerated. Meursault feels more like a symbol of existential detachment than a fully fleshed-out character living in a historical context.
One of the aspects I appreciated most about the novel is how it challenges society’s rigid expectations of how we should express emotions like grief. Meursault doesn’t fit into the neat boxes people try to place him in, and it’s clear that the judgment he faces is more about his failure to conform to these societal norms than the crime itself. His emotional detachment, while difficult to understand at times, serves as a reminder that people cope with life and loss in deeply personal ways.
Overall, I’d rate The Stranger 3.5 stars. It’s a compelling exploration of existential themes and societal judgment, and I find Meursault’s detachment intriguing. However, the portrayal of his character and the societal reactions to him feel somewhat unrealistic. Given the extreme nature of his detachment, it seems likely that someone exhibiting such behavior would have faced more scrutiny and judgment from society even before the crime he committed. This aspect affects how deeply the story resonates.
The Stranger is a novel that challenged me with its portrayal of a protagonist, Meursault, who is detached from life in a way that feels both unsettling and intriguing. While Meursault often seems indifferent to major life events—his mother’s death, committing a murder—he inconsistently finds joy in small, almost trivial things, like the smell of Marie’s perfume on his pillow or the satisfaction of smoking a cigarette.
The novel’s brevity and Meursault’s simplified character serve the philosophical point Camus is making about absurdism, but they also create a portrayal that might seem exaggerated. Meursault feels more like a symbol of existential detachment than a fully fleshed-out character living in a historical context.
One of the aspects I appreciated most about the novel is how it challenges society’s rigid expectations of how we should express emotions like grief. Meursault doesn’t fit into the neat boxes people try to place him in, and it’s clear that the judgment he faces is more about his failure to conform to these societal norms than the crime itself. His emotional detachment, while difficult to understand at times, serves as a reminder that people cope with life and loss in deeply personal ways.
Overall, I’d rate The Stranger 3.5 stars. It’s a compelling exploration of existential themes and societal judgment, and I find Meursault’s detachment intriguing. However, the portrayal of his character and the societal reactions to him feel somewhat unrealistic. Given the extreme nature of his detachment, it seems likely that someone exhibiting such behavior would have faced more scrutiny and judgment from society even before the crime he committed. This aspect affects how deeply the story resonates.