The Stranger, by Albert Camus, isn’t a book that you would read naturally. You wouldn’t stumble across this 120-pager in a Barnes and Noble and think, “This looks interesting.” In fact, this book falls under the genre of ‘absurdist fiction’ and is far from the approval rating of household classics like The Great Gatsby. Yet, I’d argue that, as in life, the popularity of something is hardly an indication of its value. And that oftentimes, the things we least expect teach us the most.
The Stranger was just that. While it definitely fits the category of absurdist fiction, Camus’s use of anomalous characters draws the reader’s interest. The story follows a couple of months in the life of Mersault (pronounced Mer-so), a French Algerian shipping clerk who believes that everything is meaningless. Mersault’s conviction makes him a controversial member of his community. Some people love him, some people hate him. But Mersault isn’t concerned with how other people think of him. At the end of part one, something happens that turns Mersault’s life on its head. This event, and the events after this, offer the reader a window into the uniqueness of Mersault’s mind and Camus’s genius.
The book hosts a variety of themes, ranging from society’s social norms to absurdism and death. Ultimately, the book’s unconventional approach to these topics is stimulating. To Camus, absurdism is the human pursuit of meaning in a universe where everything is meaningless. Mersault’s character embodies Camus in this way, as Mersault is the only person in the story who believes that ‘everything is meaningless’ and therefore lives his life as a morally ambiguous individual. This grayness of morality leads Mersault into trouble that segways into Camus’s second theme, an implicit critique of society and its ostracism of those who don’t conform to its rules. And finally, the book explores the inevitability of fate and how the acceptance of this fact leads to peace and freedom.
This book is immersive. As Mersault is the narrator and the main character, the reader takes a deep dive into Mersault’s worldview. This allows the reader to get a clear view of Camus’ argument regarding the meaning of life, therefore strengthening the story as a whole. Conversely, the book lacks sufficient character development, and by the end of the book, the reader doesn’t feel a strong emotional inclination toward the story or its characters. In this way, Camus’ book fails to leave a substantial impact on its readers. However, if his goal was to simply introduce an alternate way of thinking about life, then he succeeded.
For me, The Stranger was food for thought. While it’s far from my favorite book, my appreciation for this book increased each time I picked it up. This book is a perfect example of why it is important to read literature that introduces new ways of thinking and challenges existing ideologies. By entertaining alternate beliefs, my own convictions became stronger. It is valuable to push back on your own beliefs every once in a while so that we may change the beliefs we cannot defend.
Due to the relatively complex subject matter, this book’s age range is 16+. This is best read in a class where the proper time and instruction that is necessary to understand the material can be allotted. All in all, The Stranger is a good read that challenges your perception and pushes back on the limitations of your beliefs.
