The Stranger by Albert Camus is one of the greatest short classics that exists
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
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This video is a spoilers-free review about The Stranger by Albert Camus. This is the only Camus novel I’ve read to date, but I’m now keen to read more.
If you’re looking for longer works that discuss similar topics, you might try The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
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Our personal libraries are so similar. Stop making me want to re-read Camus, I have a hundred books I haven't read.
Lol I’ll refrain from more Camus content for at least a few weeks so you can have a chance to branch out
You don't have to read it. The book is a satire on existentialism. Existentialism is the "punk rock" idea that you have to think for yourself with Nietzsche's "will to power" or dostoyevsky' "love and forgiveness". The stranger used Nietzsche's thoughts to defend how one can leave thier mother to die alone in a convalescent home and shoot "the stranger" 4 times beyond the first incapacitating shot who was an Arab protecting his sister's honor from white settlers spitting in her face.
Mersault gets the death penalty and rejects any form of religion thinking his mother died happily and that the horrified witnesses of his death amuses him.
"Punk Rock" and existentialists are abused people looking for a group of other abused to fit in with their wierdness. Humor is the main idea. Sometimes the jokes are too bad but by being bad we can analyze and develop our philosophy.
When I write "love is forgiveness" in Suno.com while asking for an Emo song it says it as a dark acusation "thats what THEY say!" Implying it is a form of manipulation.
So "punk rock", "emo", "existentialism", is usually a secular rejection of Christian manipulation of indoctrinated "love and forgiveness". I would argue that we have commercialized the absurdity of existentialism and brainwashed everyone except Gen Z into killing Arabs. Life is sacred; even Palestinians deserve rights. And yes by me telling you life is sacred I am merely defending my beliefs as Mersault points out to the Christians trying to save him.
Nietzsche went into an 11 year coma after realizing he felt love for an overburdened horse. Love is necessary for consciousness. Forgive yourself and forgive your abusers but use logic to attain your goals while limiting harm.
Ultimately we want eternal communication.
Give it to me brother 😢
when i read this book it reminded me of the foreign language children's books i would read when i was in middle school, it's written at a 3rd grade level.
Read it, it was meh. Kind of depressing honestly. Main character was like a unambitious zombie just going through the motions.
That was kinda the point. If you're interested read A Happy Death. Camus wrote it but never published as he came up with the stranger while writing. A lot of the same themes of absurdism are there but the main point is definitely different and the supporting characters are much better in comparison to the stranger imo
@@TheBigCML Thanks I'll pick it up.
You're absolutely right about the impact this book can have on younger people. I think I was 19 when I read it and right after having finished it, I deleted it from my reader lol. Not because I needed the disc space or anything, I just felt weirdly repulsed by it. It was a feeling similar to viewing Scorsese's Taxi Driver for the 1st time, but a lot deeper and more personal.
It's not a must, but I'd recommend reading The Myth of Sisyphus before The Plague. It'll help you understand Camus' view on life and some of the themes he explored in later works.
I'm 17 and new to all of this philosophical stuff. I am very interested in existentialism and absurdism tho which is bought the myth of sisyphos. But i stopped the book after 80 pages or so because it was too high in terms of philosophical knowledge you need (didn't know what stuff like a priori meant and had to google everything).
Anyways, end of the story is i read the stranger now and absolutly loved it. I still love existentialism and absurdism but myth of sisyphos was too intellectual for me as a starting point. One day i'll revisit it for sure tho. Until then i'll watch every video on youtube about albert camus
To be accurate, the book itself did not win a Nobel Prize, or a Pulitzer. The author though, did win The Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957, many years after The Stranger was published. Very good read indeed.👍
He seems a bit sociopathic to me. But the philosophical questions come more so in the form of indirect implications. Things that just stimulate thought processes.
The fact that Mersault is such a weirdo is played for laughs in the book. There is a lot of black comedy at Mersault's expense in his failing to understand other people, and all the terrible decisions he unwittingly makes. But his philosophy is rational.
@@AnthonyFlack Yeah, I've a better understanding of absurdism and existentialism than before. I think I broadly missed the point the first time I read it.
im 17 and just read it. Halfway through I don't think I was getting the purpose of the book and even later. The words were all very easy and simple to read, but the meaning was very hard to decipher for me. Will reread it to actually understand it more because it seems like there's a lot of depth in the book as I've seen in reviews of the book.
But mainly i took out of it that the main character did not care about anything and that affected his relationships and his entire life. But even then, he didn't care. And even after killing someone, he didn't care. But I think I missed a lot of the other instances that were important.
A re read may help maybe. Not sure about you but i read it when i was 18 and wasnt impressed. Read it again now more than 10 years later and now i get it. Some thjngs we learn only with time and experience. Patience and stillness is something i acquired only with age
You'll understand his position when you get older
@@muhpiyas I've always felt meaningless and thought about these existential ideas. It's nothing new to me, so I feel like his book wasn't really all that interesting. So I'm not sure if I'd really understand it more.
i’m 19, and i’m on the same boat!! it’s actually quite ironic how people call it a classic and find meaning in this book, when the main character never found meaning in anything at all!
@@em_overlover - yes he did, he made peace with an unsentimental understanding of death. By the end he was so certain of his position that he became furious with the priest for trying to sell him the idea of a happy ending.
The reason I am currently studying philosophy at university.
I just finished this novel and loved it.
It was thought provoking sure but I don't agree with the philosophy, It was interesting to read.
This book was on my physical tbr for almost five years, but I picked it up last winter and devoured it in one evening. I usually don’t annotate books, but I was reaching for a highlighter and pen every other page.
I read The Stranger decades ago in high school. I'm presently learning French and bought a copy in the original language. Having to read it slowly as I look up words and translate is making me take my time and ponder it more slowly and, hopefully get meanings out of it that I didn't get in my earlier reading.
I've noticed that many if these characters who see themselves as someone beyond morality and god are also mostly suffering from some kind of physical illness because when i read the stranger i was sick for like 2 months and was able to relate to him
“I am a sick man… I am a spiteful man. I am an unpleasant man. I think my liver is diseased”
@@startledmilk6670Great Intro. I know it’s by D but it’s been so long I can’t remember what story?
@@juliadia007 notes from underground
The last chapter was really good but honestly I don't understand the broad appeal. I think it's a fine book, penned very intentionally and consciously
Thank you for your book suggestion. I barter with you my recommendation with a similar theme: Kafka's Metamorphosis! Have you read it? It's a wonderfully bizarre dive into absurdism, and if you appreciate the direct language of The Stranger, it could be an interesting read. Plus, I laughed--a lot.
Inspired by The Postman Always Rings Twice. Great novel. I read both on my podcast.
Yes, some of Metamorphosis is chuckle out loud funny. Read it aloud on my podcast.
Also check out Kafka's short story collections. They are wild.
Thanks for the book review. I've been reading l'Etranger in the original French, mainly with the intent of adding more words to my vocabulary. In French the dialog seems very sparce and dull. I can understand why. Camus is trying hard to portray a personality of almost terminal insouciance and ennui. Of course when you're reading another language many cultural nuances tend to go by unnoticed.
Just finished it, I enjoyed it
Victor Hugo is a French author that I think is consistently overlooked. Les Miserables was “that one” for me that changed the way I read and wrote and looked at the world (especially the book Marius). I can’t wait to get into Camus
This girl at the coffee shop recommended me this book and I told her I would read it
Brother i deeply apologise for these comments, please continue to do u thing and i love your videos, if u could just share more similar long reviews that would be wonderful!
Thank you for recommending this novel, when I saw your Instagram video, I found it in my library the next day. Like you said, it's easy to finish in one day and I had no idea it was a philosophy book. If anything, the main character lacked philosophy, which might be a conviction in itself. To me, he is one we fear we might turn into one day, just someone living because life is where they find themselves, not where they want to be. When logic takes over, what is the purpose of it all? This book is a window to see what your life would be like if you let circumstances take full control and you lose track of your spirituality and psychology. Truly powerful. Thank you! Will check out the idiot and let you know.
that's certainly one of the ways to think about absurdism
If you are a person who has no spirituality or belief in an afterlife, we have to conclude that there really is no point to anything, and find a way to come to terms with that. Mersault lived entirely in the present moment and in the end he decided he was happy.
I just read this novel , it was amazing!! Made me feel like the main character is wise actually. I feel disconnected from the world.
just read this and i feel empty man, its great
literally same
I think that's the authors intended experience
Emptiness is a good feeling sometimes, being spent completely. I think men want to be emptied out and women want to be filled in. Like in a deep spiritual sense. idk this comment just hit me bro
Translations are funky and kinda concerning even. In spanish the title is the foreigner.
I thought the same initially, it's when you read the book it starts to make sense why they changed it
@@guccicornflakes227 i gueds you're right. My biggest issue is, I usually find spanish from spain translations. I mean, you sort of get it from context, but it's still harder and sometimes I do feel completely lost. I could probably go for english versions, but I still feel more confortable when they're in my native language.
@@ckat609 We are in the same boat brother, i’m also a native Spanish speaker and i also don’t like translations made by people from Spain for people from Spain… when i was reading El Extranjero i found myself searching for uncommon words only used in Spain, for no reason!!! it doesn’t make any sense to put them, they are outdated!!!
You deserve more subs I haven't seen anyone on youtube giving this kind of detailed explanation about books. I personally am I book reader/lover and I'm gonna subscribe you and im sure you'll be as successful in TH-cam as it gets🙌🏻
I feel like no one here understands this book: you’re supposed to dislike the narrator, the book does not glorify his lifestyle. The point is that if you actually lived according to the conviction that life is meaningless and your choices don’t matter, you’d be an inhuman monster. Camus thinks that you have to make moral choices and have beliefs in the face of the absurd
Camus the pied noir writer..I'll have to check out that book on The Stranger
Love the variety in your book suggestions. Have you read Antoine de Saint-Exupéry? There is obviously The Little Prince but I have a hunch you would like Night Flight.
I haven’t but will give Night Flight a lil google
I read the Arabic translation of the stranger. It was an amazing read. I would reread it for a book club.
Finished it yesterday and loved it! I just think there still are thoughts that I missed while reading :’)
I bought it on Kindle for like $3 months ago. This video convinced me to put it on my winter break TBR (I'd read it right away but grad school's too much lol)
Limbus companyyyy
The multitude tightens it's hold
thanks for sharing.
One of the most overrated books ever.
One of the most overhated books ever?
Interp depends on translation. I prefer the older one.
Any opinion on his other books like " the Plague" ? Camus in general.
the plague is very often held in high regard. I found it, as is typical with Camus, quite easy to read. Its very digestible. It is an enjoyable novel and i feel the message of the book is quite easy to decipher. Its a fantastic book. Camus in general is a very interesting philosopher and very easy to access.
just had to read this in french
Pretty good analysis, on "grappling with the meaninglessness of life". I read it and the main character is an odd one, a most unemotional sort. He has been described as a sociopath. If anyone reading this has not read "The Catcher in the Rye" I can tell you that it's narrator is a very unlikeable sort and I think it's an overrated novel. But not so for The Great Gatsby, a very fine and also short novel.
[spoilers]
In my interpretation the unemotional character of the narrator is intentional. He is an observer of his life, with no control of it, he acts for no apparent or logical reason. Kills a man because of the sun. He is disconnected from conventional emotions, societal norm and any moral code. Because to him, those things have no meaning, no point. He is a Stranger, to his life, to society, to morality.
The fundamental idea the book is trying to get at, is indeed the meaninglessness of the life. Whether one does a thing or does another. Whether he does or doesn't act. Whether one smokes at his mothers funeral, gets married, or kills a man. It doesn't matter. Since it end the same, in death. We are all condemned. And in that one can find peace, in the gentle indifference of the universe. Since a surgeon or a criminal, they both meet the same end and their life is meaningless.
That leaves one free from the burdens of meaning, of god, of morality and of choice. One doesn't have to worry whether he lives a life in the right way. Whether his choices are correct. Whether he is a good man or a bad man. And if one accepts the absurdity of it all and stops searching for meaning, only then he can truly enjoy every moment of his life. Enjoy the feeling of summer breeze, the smell of blooming flowers, the sound of morning birds and the beautiful starts in the night sky. And in that, one can find true happiness.
This is the idea of the book in my opinion. You don't have to agree with the message, but I certainly wouldn't call the book "overrated"
Nice one Will, one of my favourite books.
I found that sunny weather really brings out the philosophy side of this book, I love giving it another read every summer.
Do you do much of your own writing at all? If so do you have any tips or are going to make any videos on how to get into it?
Thanks man, love your videos!
I’ll be releasing a story called Fumes later this year. Best way to keep up with the latest on my writing is to subscribe to my substack or follow my Instagram account
My older sister gave me this book when I was in the 7th grade and it blew my 13 year old brain.
Loved this book!
I picked this book up once, but after a few pages I stopped reading for some reason. Need to pick it up again. Thanks for the video 👍
So what's the best of the short classics that don't exist?
finished this today.
Great novel
or maybe yesterday, that doesn't mean anything.
Same. Again
@@luciacodreanu9021But he received a telegram from the home that he finished it.
Thanks for the encouragement to read it. I found the very short sentences a bit jarring but looks like it's still a worthwhile book
finished today the ending makes me feel uneasy
Hi Will I love your book recommendations, can you do a video on top literature written by women?
Great review! Just finished reading it and I agree with your takes
Published 1942
Can you please give a better discussion of blood meridian than that other guy
You might've upped this in my physical TBR. I do, however, have it in French. And I'm not particularly well knowledgeable of the language yet.
agreed
The myth of Sisyphus on top
This book gave me vibes of Razor’s Edge by W Somerset Maugham. His character Larry reminds me of Meursault, except Larry is a much deeper soul than Meursault.
I really hated this book. The author pairs poorly written prose with zero thematic opaqueness which leads to a reading experience that is derivate, uninsightful, and boring.
By all means, keep hating it. Your opinion is your truth.
@@williampdozier I wish I could like it as much as other people, but it does not work for me.
Overrated
Definitely.
elaborate
@@jorgosgustavus3183 I don't get the praise this book often gets. It's so undeserving in my opinion. It's not thought provoking, has no depth or deep, complex characters. doesn't go through human experiences & existential crisis fairly, you'll get a glimpse here and there but in the most shallow sense it can get.
@@Angel666xo Are you sure it isn't just you? Majority of people who read it does not seem to agree with you. What books in your opinion are superior to this one? Crime and Punishment? The Metamorphosis?
@@jorgosgustavus3183 Even if it's just me. I don't mind it and doesn't change my insight on the book whether the majority agree or not. But since you mentioned it, yes kafka's work is superior to this in comparison. His style of writing, his interpretations and symbolism are unmatched where the stranger left me very underwhelmed when I finished it. Literal snoozefest