The Stranger
The masterpiece of Nobel Prize winner Albert Camus, now in a striking American English translation, The Stranger remains vital for its unsettling insights into the impossibility of moral certainty in the face of violence.
“Matthew Ward has done Camus and us a great service. The Stranger is now a different and better novel for its American readers; it is now our classic as well as France’s.”—Chicago Sun-Times
Since it was first published in English, in 1946, Albert Camus’s first novel, The Stranger (L’etranger), has had a profound impact on millions of American readers. Through this story of an ordinary man who unwittingly gets drawn into a senseless murder on a sundrenched Algerian beach, Camus explored what he termed “the nakedness of man faced with the absurd.”
Now, in this illuminating translation, extraordinary for its exactitude and clarity, the original intent of The Stranger is made more immediate. This haunting novel has been given a new life for generations to come.
“Matthew Ward has done Camus and us a great service. The Stranger is now a different and better novel for its American readers; it is now our classic as well as France’s.”—Chicago Sun-Times
Since it was first published in English, in 1946, Albert Camus’s first novel, The Stranger (L’etranger), has had a profound impact on millions of American readers. Through this story of an ordinary man who unwittingly gets drawn into a senseless murder on a sundrenched Algerian beach, Camus explored what he termed “the nakedness of man faced with the absurd.”
Now, in this illuminating translation, extraordinary for its exactitude and clarity, the original intent of The Stranger is made more immediate. This haunting novel has been given a new life for generations to come.
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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 didn’t 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 i’m 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 i’ll 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 i’ll reread this entirely in french one day?
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