The Stranger

I first read the English translation of this book during my undergraduate studies. The first time I read it, I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days. Something about it disturbed me, made me feel sick, and made me question what it means to be human.

I felt myself called to read it again years later and, just recently, I picked it up a third time. Mersault’s indifference in relation to his experiences and to society forced me to question my own views concerning the meaning of life.

Camus’ 1942 classic short novel, The Stranger, focuses on a protagonist who, not unlike other protagonists in this list, has certain emotional limitations.  However, in the character of Meursault, Camus’ main character has a particular desensitization from tragic events in his life, which culminates when he is tried for shooting a man, otherwise referred to in the book as “the Arab”. 

The emotional removal that Meursault exhibits throughout this unusual and engaging character study becomes the ultimate focus of his trial, as others reflect on his emotional disconnection from various aspects of his life, including his own mother’s funeral, to… show more.

Sure, this novel is a classic. It’s held in that regard for a reason. I’m sure many depressives, myself included, can relate to Meursault’s insouciance about the world.

His utter disregard for all things, how he drifts through life, through the world. Without getting into spoilers, the way in which Camus expounds upon his philosophy through Meursault is perfectly done—and something to give hope to depressives like me, who find little comfort in the empty nothings we hear so often.

This is one of my all-time favorites. One of those books that you read every other year or so.

For me, this story is the peak of the existentialistic movement or awakening or whatever it was. Alienation par excellence. Mersol is a very strange man.

He is a stranger in his own society, unable to relate to other people or function properly. I don’t know about you, but I felt strange as a kid and as a teenager. I felt different. That feeling has faded but not gone away.

Reading about someone you can understand or relate to can be… show more.

The 1942 in-depth examination of a man accused of murder or was it self-defense? The book shows how complex and entangled the truth around crime can be and how quickly society turns on those charged with homicide. It raises timeless questions that we struggle with today with the media and talk shows playing such a large role in current high-profile criminal cases.