The Outsider - Albert Camus
A background understanding of the philosophy of Absurdism helps, at times. Atleast when you read this book.
Camus is a philosopher French Author, a contemporary of Jean-Paul Sartre, the famous Existentialist. Having never heard of Camus, what prompted me to read the book is its back cover page which says he is a Nobel Laureate.
Meursault, the protagonist, is like any other young man of an average existence. The book opens with descriptions of his Mother's funeral. The very first page suggests the character of Meursault.
He doesn't fit into the usual frame of a social being. The snobbish and phony people. He is deadly indifferent, even towards his own life and death. Meursault views everything as an outsider. His mother's death, the unintentional murder he committed and his own death penalty.
Even though he is happy with his girl friend, Marie, and he is willing to marry her 'cos she wants to, he plainly tells he doesn't love her 'cos he simply doesnn't feel any love. Though embarrassed by the embarrassment on other people's face, he is not able to adapt to the norms of the society. He is neither a revolutionary nor an extra ordinary genius. Just a simple young man who is deadly honest about his feelings or lack of them.
There are times he tries to act and say as per what was expected from him by the circumstances, but he get bored pretty soon. He flinches a bit while confronted with his death penalty. The most amusing of turn happens there. He starts viewing even that as an outsider.
It is not the plot that is interesting, but the protagonist's attittude and feelings (or no feelings) towards happenings that is the center theme.
These types of writings always interest me. The unconventional, the intriguing, the surrealistic and subtly philosophical.
Good read, ofcourse. This is his very first book and I guess, his later books are better. Yet to grab one.
A background understanding of the philosophy of Absurdism helps, at times. Atleast when you read this book.
Camus is a philosopher French Author, a contemporary of Jean-Paul Sartre, the famous Existentialist. Having never heard of Camus, what prompted me to read the book is its back cover page which says he is a Nobel Laureate.
Meursault, the protagonist, is like any other young man of an average existence. The book opens with descriptions of his Mother's funeral. The very first page suggests the character of Meursault.
He doesn't fit into the usual frame of a social being. The snobbish and phony people. He is deadly indifferent, even towards his own life and death. Meursault views everything as an outsider. His mother's death, the unintentional murder he committed and his own death penalty.
Even though he is happy with his girl friend, Marie, and he is willing to marry her 'cos she wants to, he plainly tells he doesn't love her 'cos he simply doesnn't feel any love. Though embarrassed by the embarrassment on other people's face, he is not able to adapt to the norms of the society. He is neither a revolutionary nor an extra ordinary genius. Just a simple young man who is deadly honest about his feelings or lack of them.
There are times he tries to act and say as per what was expected from him by the circumstances, but he get bored pretty soon. He flinches a bit while confronted with his death penalty. The most amusing of turn happens there. He starts viewing even that as an outsider.
It is not the plot that is interesting, but the protagonist's attittude and feelings (or no feelings) towards happenings that is the center theme.
These types of writings always interest me. The unconventional, the intriguing, the surrealistic and subtly philosophical.
Good read, ofcourse. This is his very first book and I guess, his later books are better. Yet to grab one.
posted by Dew Drops at 12:46 AM
3 Comments:
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happened to stumble upon your blog completely by accident...and found many of the books that you have read and reviewed similar to the ones I have read and enjoyed...rushdie (though i think Midnight's children is one of the best books ever written ), tuesdays with morrie, outsider.....
nice reviews and a nice blog :)
omg , that's the same one i read abt a month back , truly an xcellent work. the absence of feelings, being numb/cold towards a particular situation is something all of us can identify with and understand the intricate nature of the structure of feelings. u've got a gr8 taste for the right stuff,must say !
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