So I just finished the stranger and I'm not sure I'm really grasping it right. For instance, his utter indifference of life and everyone is pretty normal in my opinion, I've been feeling that way for years so what's the big deal? Am I missing something? To me it's just seems like a story about a man who ended up with some bad luck. Can someone enlighten me on it?
>>7485955
are you 15 by chance?
Camus is a gateway drug. Don't fall for that crosseyed commie Sartre. Albert "Bustin Em Under The Algerian Sun" Camus is really good though. I personally enjoy The Plague and The Trial more. If you like Camus I suggest checking out Kafka next.
>>7485979
No. I'm in my late 20s. I've been trying to get deeper into lit
people won't believe me when I tell them /lit/ used to be less r/books than this.
>>7485979
The book sucks and if anything only appeals to 15 year olds. Face it, senpai sweetie pie
>>7485955
Protagonist is kind of interesting because he's balanced on the knife edge of nihilism. Sort of a neutered sociopath. Interesting tension in that he doesn't want to die nor does he react with malice to ordinary people. Ultimately he gets over it and pushes himself to full nihilism as a coping mechanism. Camus was a chad who thought everyone could also be chad with the right mentality, it's pretty didactic, but his francophone diffidence makes the book sexy and readable. For you.
>>7485955
the main character is sort of like larry david's character on curb your enthusiasm, but an unfunny version. the dude just goes with the flow and doesn't commit to societal norms. just existing elevates the risk for disaster.
it points out that nothing is really within reach and how a decision can turn your life upside down. it is sort of "absurd". an individual lives with people and situations imposed on him constantly, with or without his consent.
I also think he played in his opinions on capital punishment that have been lingering in his head into this novel. read thoughts on the guillotine to see what i mean. the ending sort of made me think about how many innocent men like the main character have been killed in similar situations
>>7485979
Nice pic related
>>7486032
someone should write a book about the nihilism of seinfeld and the modern sitcom.
He probably doesn't even get executed, t b h f a m.
Meursault was merely a normalfag mistaken as an autist by other normalfags.
Sort of like Amalfitano in 2666.
>>7485955
It was written in 1942 so those sorts of nihilism wasn't really an accepted norm.
It was probably a big deal back then for someone to be so open about their indifference to things we're supposed to believe are a big deal: life, death, religion, justice.
Now a days it's no biggie to be like eh whatever about that stuff.
at least that's how I see.
>he's a stranger
>he's not like us
>he's guilty
it's a thought experiment about what life would be like if you genuinely did not have connections of arbitrary meaning
mersault isn't a protagonist in the sense of emotional or personal depth or whatever, he's basically a walking philosophical speculation
>>7486050
http://www.amazon.com/Shows-about-Nothing-Nihilism-Exorcist/dp/1890626171
>>7486000
>neutered sociopath
Damn, that's a really good way to put it.
>>7486505
No, it wasn't.
>>7485955
here
>>7486000
>full nihilist
Camus turnin in dat algerian grave bby
>>7485989
>No. I'm in my late 20s.
It's all about the absurdity inherent to everyday life, the purposelessness of living.
Check out Camus' Notebooks 1935-1951, I think that may help to provide some insight as to what exactly was going through his mind at the time and better understand the novel.
