selitbox 's review for:

The Stranger by Albert Camus

4.0

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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“As if familiar paths traced in the summer skies could lead as easily to prison as to the sleep of the innocent” 

The passion, heat, and movement of Merusalt’s external world beautifully contrast his detached interior one, making for a novel with complex moral politics that bloom with analysis. Aspects are dated and specific to Camus’ views, which must be critiqued appropriately for their coloniality and deference to the oppressor. However, the absurdism, language, and characterizations at the core of the novel have certainly retained their value. The final three pages of the novel capture a beauty and nuance to nihilism that is a philosophy in and of itself. Beautifully writing, deserving of its place as a classic.