All in all, I'd recommend giving this book a wide berth!


C'est le livre le plus magnifique que j'ai jamais lu   August 11, 1999
 18 out of 27 found this review helpful

Meursault est un homme tres irrationel, il n'aime pas conformer avec les regles de notre societe. Peut-etre comme Albert Camus lui-meme. Le roman commence a se trouver en Algerie et Meursault est venu de perdre sa mere. Il decrivait l'enterrement mais on ne trouve aucunes emotiones. Bien que tout n'aille pas bien pour M. Meursault, le directeur de l'asile soupconnait que Meursault n'a pas de problemes avec la morte de sa mere. Il n'a pas pleure a l'enterrement mais puis il ne disait rien. Meursault retourne chez lui et il fait connaitre des amis: Raymond et sa nana Marie. On lit des petits aventures de Meursault et sa maniere de vivre, et plus important sa vue de notre societe. Camus a dit que << Meursault est peut-etre le seulement Jesus Christ qu'on merite>> et je pense que vous devez trouver pourquoi il a dit ca. J'ai lu ce roman plus que trente fois je veux le lire encore


The opening sentence that grabbed my attention!!   August 9, 1999
 15 out of 17 found this review helpful

I am yet to find an Engllish translation of L'Etranger which does full justice to both Camus and L'Etranger. I have read this book several times in both English and French and I still find the original french version to be much more hard hitting. Any author who can grab the reader's attention from the very first sentence through to the last word deserves respect and acknowledgement. Camus manages this spectacularly - making the reader and society feel on the outside.

The novel focuses on Meursault, a man who kills an Arab 'a cause du soleil'. Meursault is then condemned, not for the murder of the Arab, but for his lack of belief in God, not crying at his mother's funeral and for telling the truth in a country and period of time where it would have been possible for him to lie and escape without punishment. It also examines the values of society during this time.

Contrary to my fellow students last year, I found this novel to be optomisitic - Meursault lived his life the way he wanted. I only found pessimism when Meursault was taken away from the things he loved - the sun, the beach and the sky.

Try to read this in French, if you can. I still feel so much of the meaning and feeling is lost in the translation - but just read it anyway!!!!!!