Monday, July 4, 2011

The Stranger (L'Etranger)



The Stranger (L'Etranger)
By Albert Camus
Translated by Matthew Ward

Yes, yes. Albert Camus is one of the most important 20th-century French writers and a Nobel Prize winning novelist.

Yes, yes. The Stranger is an exquisitely philosophical novel exploring the themes of colonialism, existentialism and nihilism.

Nihilism? Fuck me. I mean, say what you will about the tenets of National Socialism, but at least it's an ethos!

Yes, yes. Meursault is a champion of free will and a brave literary figure who personifies the meaninglessness of life.

Yes, yes. It's a great read.

All this is true and then some. The Stranger is a really good book on many levels. But the only thing I could think of while reading this novel was: "Well, now I know where The Cure got the title of the song Killing an Arab."

Am I wrong or am I just an asshole?

3 comments:

Chiba Chiba Y'all said...

This book was my pink floyd, darkside of the moon experience in literarure... aka my "I didn't know you were allowed to make art like this". I read it less as meaningless and more as a french take on england's policy of splendid isolation. It can't be that nihilistic when the lead gets pleasure from a little bit of sun, n'est pas?

Ryan said...

I had the same exact epiphany when I read Catch-22. I love it when a book catches you with your pants down.

Chiba Chiba Y'all said...

Someone stole my catch 22 and i actually felt a little bit happy for them. Thank god they took a good book.

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