قصة الكتاب :
The Stranger is a novel by Albert Camus. It was his first novel and was originally published in French in 1942 as L’Étranger. It was distributed later as The Outsider in England and as The Stranger in the United States. It sold a mere 4400 copies initially and did not qualify as a best-seller at the time. The book was published during the Nazi occupation of France and therefore ran the risk of censorship. However, it was well received in Nazi and anti-Nazi circles alike. The novel has been adapted twice into films and has inspired several song-writers as well.

\r\nThe story is set in Algiers in the 1940s and is narrated in the voice of a Frenchman Meursault. He describes his life in a memoir-like fashion from the day his mother passed away. The novel is famous for its first lines that capture the mental state of its protagonist accurately “Mother died today. Or maybe it was yesterday, I don’t know.” This is followed by his narration, which is in the first person and to Marengo. Meursault sits vigil at the place of his mother’s death and despite the extensive show of grief all around him, he does not show any outward signs of distress himself. This stoic nature continues throughout Meursault’s story, even as he goes through his relationships, both romantic and platonic. Meursault ends up shooting a man during an altercation a few days after his mother’s funeral. The murder becomes the defining event that divides the story into two parts, both narrated by Meursault. Meursault’s apathy and disengagement work against him during the trial and he eventually finds himself facing death by guillotine. As he waits for his death, he keeps hoping for the possibility of his appeal coming through. A chaplain visits Meursault during this time, against his wishes, and is overwhelmed by his annihilistic and atheistic views. Although the chaplain ends up in tears, Meursault finds a sort of peace at the end of the exchange and is willing to greet his fate without further complaint.

\r\nCamus used the novel as a platform to explore ‘absurdity’- a concept that was at the heart of all his writings and his questions regarding the meaning of life. His concepts, highlighted in all of his literary works, implored people to accept that life had no meaning and to rebel against this by rejoicing in whatever life had to offer. Besides English, The Stranger has also been translated into several other languages and has been regarded as one of the classics of 20th century literature. It has earned itself a first place in Le Monde’s list of the 100 Books of the Century.\r\n