“Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can’t be sure.”—The Stranger, Albert Camus

Such are the iconic opening words of one of the twentieth century’s greatest works of fiction. The Stranger is normally considered to be one of, if not the most, well-known work by Albert Camus. The first of his novels to be published emerged during the occupation of France. Admired by such notable figures such as Sartre, it has firmly entrenched itself in the pantheon of twentieth-century philosophical literature.

The novel follows Meursault, an apathetic and morose French man living in Algeria (then a French colony). I want this article to be spoiler-free, so I’ll just leave it there. That being said, it does take a pretty dark turn.

I LOVED this book. I’ve been meaning to read it forever, so I was glad to finally get my hands on it. Although Camus would have never considered himself an “existentialist,” I definitely feel as though he explores themes of such through the novel’s protagonist, Meursault. Meursault is one of the most intriguing characters in literature I’ve come across as of late; he’s just…there. It’s strangely captivating how indifferent Meursault is to everything. It felt weirdly refreshing to me if I’m being honest. He’s definitely NOT a good person though, so if you want a book without a morally gray main character, I wouldn’t recommend The Stranger. 

Ultimately, I think you should go give The Stranger a try. The book is pretty short (my copy was a little over 150 pages), making it a perfect quick read. Moreover, Camus has a wonderful style composed of simple diction and concise sentences; I didn’t find the book hard to read, rather the opposite, actually. If you’re in the mood for an introspective and philosophical read, definitely read The Stranger!