The Stranger
With the intrigue of a psychological thriller, The Stranger—Camus's masterpiece—gives us the story of an ordinary man unwittingly drawn into a senseless murder on an Algerian beach. With an Introduction by Peter Dunwoodie; translated by Matthew Ward.
Behind the subterfuge, Camus explores what he termed "the nakedness of man faced with the absurd" and describes the condition of reckless alienation and spiritual exhaustion that characterized so much of twentieth-century life.
“The Stranger is a strikingly modern text and Matthew Ward’s translation will enable readers to appreciate why Camus’s stoical anti-hero and devious narrator remains one of the key expressions of a postwar Western malaise, and one of the cleverest exponents of a literature of ambiguity.” —from the Introduction by Peter Dunwoodie
First published in 1946; now in translation by Matthew Ward.
Behind the subterfuge, Camus explores what he termed "the nakedness of man faced with the absurd" and describes the condition of reckless alienation and spiritual exhaustion that characterized so much of twentieth-century life.
“The Stranger is a strikingly modern text and Matthew Ward’s translation will enable readers to appreciate why Camus’s stoical anti-hero and devious narrator remains one of the key expressions of a postwar Western malaise, and one of the cleverest exponents of a literature of ambiguity.” —from the Introduction by Peter Dunwoodie
First published in 1946; now in translation by Matthew Ward.
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Community Reviews
Camus made the main character come to life. Meursault to me seems like the average indifferent person. Some people are passionate about things and the main character doesn't seem to care about anything. The book brings up a lot of deep questions but it was pretty predictable in the end
I read this once, and I have mixed feelings on the story. The author tries to depict the life of a man who only lives in present, but is it so bad to just care about the present? And if so, then why was the man not judged on his crime alone rather his whole character development. He tries to tell the pressure of the norms and regulations of the modern society, and the way human justice works. He also tries to explain the role of a God figure in a man's life. Alongside telling, no one is The Stranger and we all have a commonality in death as death is the actual peace.
how have i never read camus before ?right up my alley. brilliant little book, incredible how timeless it is. also quite funny. appreciated the simple prose and strangeness throughout. can't wait to read it in french now.
i didnât exactly like this book, but i thought it was very well written. it details that feeling of ennui and existential dread we all get at some point when we face the absurdness of the world⦠and it conveys it well. so much nihilism in this book and iâm not sure what to make of it
i read this book mostly in english but switched to french at times just to try and get more of a direct feel for the story. i think the translation was good but the french felt slightly less disconnected than the english did⦠which matters for the characterization of our main character. so hm maybe iâll reread this entirely in french one day?
i read this book mostly in english but switched to french at times just to try and get more of a direct feel for the story. i think the translation was good but the french felt slightly less disconnected than the english did⦠which matters for the characterization of our main character. so hm maybe iâll reread this entirely in french one day?
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