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‘You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.’ - Albert Camus
‘The Outsider’ is a book that talks of nihilism, existentialism and apathy among other things.
It is the story of a man so unfeeling and detached from the world that he cannot even cry at his mother’s funeral and is amazed at the people attending, who do.
Camus’ distinctive way of writing separates him from all of the traditional writers in a way that while they talk of attaining bliss, Camus finds a way to live with the perpetual doom. After reading this book, while many may find themselves perturbed, there are people who find meaning in Camus’ unconventional absurdity.
Introduction
Book’s name - The Outsider
Author’s name - Albert Camus
Genre - Philosophical Fiction
Language - Originally written in French and then translated into English
Synopsis - Spoiler Alert!
Albert Camus’ portrayal of a man confronting the absurdity of human life became an existentialist classic. Yet it is also a dreamlike, sensual book filled with quite joy in the ‘tender-indifference’ of the physical world.
Meursault will not conform. When his mother dies, he refuses to show his emotions, simply to satisfy the expectations of others. And when he commits a random act of violence on a sun-drenched beach, his lack of remorse only compounds his guilt in the eyes of society and the law.
About the Author
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Born on the 7th of November, 1913, Albert Camus was a French- Algerian philosopher, author and journalist. His theories in the field gave rise to the philosophy of Absurdism and he was considered to be an existentialist, even though he firmly rejected the term throughout his lifetime.
Some of his notable works include ‘The Outsider’, ‘The Rebel’, ‘The Fall’ and ‘the Plague’. His famous essay called ‘The Myth of Sisyphus’ was the holy grail for the Theatre of the Absurd and writers like Samuel Beckett drew inspiration from it for his plays. Camus won the Nobel Prize in Literature in the year 1957. He died on 4th January, 1960.
About the Book
Albert Camus’ first novel ‘The Outsider’ is one of his most enigmatic creations. Originally written in French and titled L’Etranger, the book has been translated into English by Camus himself and titled ‘The Stranger’ in the US and ‘The Outsider’ in the UK. The book was first published in 1942.
‘The Outsider’ entails the story of a man, our protagonist Monsieur Meursault. The book’s opening lines are in themselves quite strange and go like- “Mother died today. Or maybe it was yesterday, I don’t know.” They capture Meursault’s anomy briefly but significantly.
Then follows the mother’s funeral, where the protagonist finds himself unable to express his grief outwardly and is seen to be feeling rather nothing despite the various outbursts of grief from the people around him. Apathy is a constant emotion that we relate to the protagonist in the novel, be it his romantic relationships or the platonic ones.
Meursault agrees to vouch for his friend Raymond when he is arrested for assaulting his mistress. Raymond soon encounters the brother of his mistress, who slashes Raymond with a knife. Meursault happens upon the altercation and shoots the brother dead. This murder is where the first part of the novel ends.
The novel’s second part begins with Meursault’s pretrial questioning, which primarily focuses on the accused’s callousness toward his mother’s funeral and his murder of “the Arab”. His lack of remorse, combined with his lack of sadness expressed toward his mother, works against him and earns him the nickname “Monsieur Antichrist” from the examining magistrate.
Eventually, Meursault is found guilty of murder with malice aforethought and is sentenced to death by guillotine. A chaplain visits Meursault against his wishes, only to be greeted by Meursault’s intense atheistic and nihilistic views.
Themes Involved
The most predominant themes in Camus’ ‘The Outsider’ is that of the Absurdity of Life. The protagonist Meursault finds his life to be of little meaning and this kind of detaches him from the outer world, makes him an apathetic person and eventually an outsider.
Another theme is that of indifference. The protagonist is so indifferent and detached that he doesn’t feel much grief even at the death of his mother and no remorse after murdering a man. He is someone who is aloof from human passions and even intercourse to him is just an act and not an act of love.
Famous Quotes
“I may not have been sure about what really did interest me, but I was absolutely sure about what didn't.”
“Since we’re all going to die, it’s obvious that when and how don’t matter.”
“If something is going to happen to me, I want to be there.”
“Have you no hope at all? And do you really live with the thought that when you die, you die, and nothing remains?" "Yes," I said.”
The Bottom Line
The book can be interpreted by many as being a super negative one but if you look at it close enough, you will realize that it speaks the truth and nothing but the truth and so I recommend your kind perusal vehemently. It will give you quotes to live by.
My ratings for the book - 4 on 5
Find the Book at Amazon - The Outsider
Written By - Sakshi Singh
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