I was recommended this book without any information and was utterly hooked. So, I won’t reveal too much either! Also, can we take a moment to appreciate my borrowed copy with its watermarks and folds?
Albert Camus immediately immerses his readers from the morbid first lines, ”My mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know.” This really should have been an indicator into the tragic and existential themes of this novella, however I was far too distracted by the vivid sun symbolism I thought it would transpire into a happy ending. The first person narrative immersed us into the life of Meursalt, a Frenchman living in Algeria, unperturbed by his mother’s death and the ripple effect of his actions following her funeral. Set across a matter of days, it highlighted how one interaction can spiral considerably and explores society’s morality.
I initially read this without the context in mind, however it really does make an impact on the read. It is also worth noting it was initially in French so this modern classic translated it with nuances of Camus. Having been set during ww2, the impact of the fragilitiy and meaning of life is explicitly explored by Camus. Critics have mentioned him being part of the absurdist movement whereby the purpose of life is influenced by human morality. Such philosophical themes underpin the book, leaving you with life’s big questions. It reminded me of my favourite book, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, with the question being, “Should you be forced to be good or chose to be?” whereas for The Outsider, it’s “Should you choose to show emotion or be forced to?”. It’s completely open to interpretation, with a plethora of philosophical questions, but that is what resonated with me the most.
5/5 as I was left with tons of emotions and food for thought. I was completely taken aback by The Outsider. Completely gripped, I was relieved to have found a book I couldn’t put down and completed it overnight (only one hundred or so pages)!
Amber Reads something 