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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Com o domínio da pandemia sobre nossas vidas nas últimas semanas, me vi levado a reler esse livro, que devo ter lido pela primeira vez há quase 15 anos. Lembrava apenas vagamente de sua estrutura e personagens, mas não encontramos aqui nada de realmente surpreendente nesses aspectos. As diferenças certamente estão muito mais em como a minha atenção se volta, hoje, para detalhes tão distintos daqueles para os quais se voltada na adolescência. Permanece, no entanto, a certeza que tive então de ser esse livro muito melhor do que a obra mais famosa de Camus, O Estrangeiro. É difícil dizer o que a obra nos comunica sobre o momento em que vivemos, pois a verdade é que trata do que é o ser humano de forma muito mais abstrata. A própria peste que dá título ao livro seria melhor entendida de forma existencial. Como uma força externa que nos coloca frente à reconsideração de todas as prioridades que são consideradas naturais nas sociedades humanas. Como vivemos frente a algo sobre o qual somos impotentes? Como nos portamos diante do medo e do isolamento? Quais narrativas nos contamos para dar sentido às tragédias? Se Camus é mais econômico nos temas que costumam ser mais cool nos escritores existencialistas (como a liberdade, a autenticidade), ele ao mesmo tempo demonstra ter um cerne de bondade que, lendo desta vez, me pegou desprevenido. É uma leitura estranhamente otimista e reconfortante.
Yes, this book is an incredibly prescient snapshot of what living through the pandemic felt like despite being published over half a century beforehand (turns out pandemics and plagues are alike-who knew?). I’m going to ignore that aspect for the purposes of this review.
What I loved about this was how complete a novel it is. Exceedingly well-researched and constructed, with a cast of excellently realized characters thrown into hell together. Its ruminations on the reasons humans fight for anything are quite interesting as well. Definitely going in my want-to-reread pile.
What I loved about this was how complete a novel it is. Exceedingly well-researched and constructed, with a cast of excellently realized characters thrown into hell together. Its ruminations on the reasons humans fight for anything are quite interesting as well. Definitely going in my want-to-reread pile.
It's been over five years since I read The Plague, and it is still my favourite book. The writing is excellent, the characters really come alive, there is humour and sadness and moments of awe. There is the human condition and a great gripping narrative. And on top of all this, the quarantined town where many give in but a dedicated band risk their lives to fight the plague is an excellent a multi-layered allegory for the Nazi occupation of France. Truly a book that succeeds on so many levels; The Stranger pales in comparison.
Like a long slow monotonous tread in l i m bo , which is what a plague feels like. Style was very documentarian and dry but not without instances of humanity. Camus’ love for people keeps the story together, evinced in the few moments of life and warmth, as well as his elegant/sharp/ haunting descriptions (which are also unfortunately too few in number). *Kinda spoiler* the long sigh of relief as the plague receded I felt, too. Not sure I can say I’ve felt something so resolute and transitional but I can certainly understand the relief. The narrator refuses to give into ‘abstractions’ but nevertheless ends up formulating a philosophy which encompasses a whole way of seeing the world. All about how to just tread on in an attempt to be a middling saint or healer. Noble, but not fully convincing in hope. All in all, respect to Camus for chronicling what is not an easy thing to document compared to its other sinister parallel, war, and its purgatory of morbid boredom.
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The neutrality of the tone is almost brutally cold, yet the book still manages to be deeply touching. Also read this during the covid-pandemic - the parallels were wild (given the book is written in 1947).
dark
reflective
slow-paced
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No