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The Stranger
The Stranger is the English translation, by Matthew Ward, of the novel titled L’Étranger, written by Albert Camus. At less than 130 pages, the book is a short but not an easily forgettable one. The main protagonist is Mersault. Living and working in an Algerian city, Mersault gets the news of the death of his mother. He travels to the elderly care home where his mother spends the last few months of her life. After attending her funeral, Mersault is back to where he lives. But the next few days, he is entangled in a fight started by his neighbor, Raymond, which affects his life.
Before reading this book, I would advise you to read about Albert Camus and absurdism. According to this philosophy, life is meaningless, and there the search for a meaning for life is futile. Understanding this concept will help one to enjoy the moment instead of constantly worrying. Mersault is one such person. He is not thinking about tomorrow, and he is not bothered about how people see him. This attitude gets him into trouble, resulting in people judging him incorrectly. The physical world, with pleasure and pain, matters to him most.
Absurdism is not an easy subject for most of us. We yearn to lead a meaningful life contributing to both family and society. But there is an important lesson here. When Mersault talks to many of the supporting characters, he is always judged by them. Although Mersault understands their misjudgment, he prefers not to correct these. In effect, Mersault neither responds nor reacts. Mersault is not passive-aggressive. Instead, he is letting others be what they are. How many of us will be able to follow this model successfully?
