The Stranger / The Outsider – Albert Camus

The Stranger – Albert Camus – 1942

Reviewed by: Lale            Date: 23 November 2002

I read this book once when I was young and then again two years ago. Two different translations: the first one I read was called The Outsider, the second one, The Stranger.

Now we are reading it in French and discussing it in class. The writing is much more beautiful in French.

In year 2000, there was a survey amongst 6000 French readers. The question was: ” Which book, do you think, is the best of 20th century? ” French readers picked L’Étranger. I agree. The Stranger is, in my opinion, the best book written in 20th century. The complexity of human nature tackled with the simplest of writings. It is beautiful to read, heart-wrenching to contemplate.

And which book has ever been able to beat this opening line:

“Aujourd’hui, maman est morte. Ou peut-être hier, je ne sais pas.”

(“Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know.”)

If I could compare this book (and its protagonist) to any other book I’ve read, I would choose Graham Greene’s A Burnt Out Case and its architect Querry.

We are not very good at dealing with the different, the outsider, the stranger. And since there is more of us, we find a way of making them miserable, not letting them be, forcing them to be like us, trying to neutralize them, to make them ordinary, to reduce them. When they slip, we use the opportunity to get rid of them for good. (In the case of Graham Greene’s Querry, he didn’t even have to slip. We can always make things up.)

Meursault killed a man. In his trial we say, in fact try to use as evidence, that he did not cry in his mother’s funeral.

We are merciless when it comes to the different. I know, by first hand experience, how cruel we can be when we encounter the stranger.

Reviewed by: Anne             Date: 3 October 2016

One of the best books ever written. In the original French, note the use of passé composé instead of passé simple. It was ground breaking at the time.