L’Étranger | The Outsider
by Albert Camus
Albert Camus was a French Author whose philosophy revolved around the absurdity of the world. His novel L’Étranger was published in 1942 and was merely one of many works that aimed to explore his philosophy. It was later translated into English with a small issue in the title. L’Étranger encompasses a few different words, as much a lot of the French language, and so when translated into English had multiple definitions. The translators note at the beginning of this particular copy sheds light on this decision of which title best suits Camus’ work. The Outsider was chosen as Penguin’s Modern Classics title.
The Outsider is an absurdist book broken into two parts. The first, follows Meursault as he moves through life after his mother’s death; The second, deals with societies negative reaction to Meursault’s actions after deciding not to pander to the way that society thinks he should act after receiving such news.
This story is intriguing, thought provoking, and comes together perfectly, bringing home Camus’ philosophy. The message he leaves behind is timeless and feels honest in a modern setting. Yes, there are some elements that wouldn’t happen in Algeria (setting of The Outsider) today, and some of the events of the book may seem aged with a 21st century perspective. However, all of these events serve the greater plot, repeatedly placing Meursault in ethical grey areas, while Camus does a brilliant job of adjusting you to his world.
Expanding on my notion of a ‘timeless’ story, and linking in the idea of a 21st century perspective, I would like to offer up this paragraph:
While reading the second part of The Outsider, I often found myself questioning what Meursault would be defined as today within the current conventions of political correctness. If you haven’t already read the book, you may not entirely understand what I mean. However, in lending my thoughts to this character, it is intriguing to think about how his choice not to feel is possibly judged in too harsh a way. Is this simply a product of the setting of The Outsider? Or would our society, too, be quick to judge someone for not thinking or feeling the same as everyone else? Of course, there are circumstances, that being a criminal act, that would beg for questions into Meursault’s intentions. However, the ‘ethical grey areas’ I mentioned earlier come into play here and allow for these questions to flurry through the readers mind. Is Meursault a criminal? Or is he vastly misunderstood?
Recently, Tom Rosenthal, a song writer from London, wrote a song on Albert Camus. This song is beautiful and captures Camus’ messaging about the absurdity of life in a way that made me feel blissful. His words are able to explain Camus’ message through his work to a 21st century audience in a way that feels fresh, and sensitive to the original text. Albert Camus (the song) brought my attention to this writer, and for that I will be eternally grateful.
At 111 pages it may sound like a quick read, but I urge you to really take your time and let yourself sink into Camus’ strange story.
I urge anyone who loves absurdity to read this book. I urge anyone who is interested in the world and its societal workings to explore this brilliant depiction of the way society views people they don’t understand. I urge all who love crime novels to add this to your list. I hope that in reading this tale, you will find your own questions and thoughts on what Albert Camus really wanted his readers to see through the eyes of Meursault.
L’Étranger | The Outsider brings with it an eye-opening experience, a challenging story, and entirely deserves its title of classic.
“I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world.”
– Albert Camus, The Outsider
