The Stranger - Albert Camus (Blog Post No. 1)

  The Stranger

(Albert Camus)

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Genre: Existential novel, Crime drama

Pages Read: 18/123

Summary:The novel is set in Algeria slightly before world war two. It is written in the first point of view. The main character gets a letter that his mother has died. He travels by bus to the village where the home for the elderly is located. He talks to the director who informs him that his mother was very satisfied with her stay there. He mentioned that they had to place her body in a casket as quickly as they could, because the elderly in the home fear of "death spreading". Her casket was located in a white, empty room with a skylight. When he was lead into the room by the caretaker, he refused to look at her body for the last time. Soon, many other residents of this nursing center came. They were making "strange noises" (Camus, 11) with their cheeks. The hearse was called and the casket was transferred into it. The residents were rushing after the hearse that was traveling fast because of the hot day. Everyone was sweating. One of the elderly inhabitants, Perez, was falling around 50 meters behind the hearse, so he was taking shortcuts to catch up.

Reflection: For now, I like the book. It is written in a unique style with many interesting descriptions. Even though it is only the first chapter that I read, I must say that there are not many things have happened. I have no predictions for the next chapter, for I have not read enough to conclude anything.

Passage: "Now it was all these people not making a sound that was getting on my nerves. Except that every now and then I'd hear a strange noise and I couldn't figure out what it was. Finally I realized that some of the old people were sucking at the insides of their cheeks and making weird smacking noises"

I chose this passage because it was the funniest part I found in the first chapter. The idea of a group of old people making weird smacking noises all at once, like a choir, on a funeral made me laugh. Also, the style in which it was written perfectly describes the sound.