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/lit/ - Literature

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17587478 No.17587478 [Reply] [Original]

what does /lit/ think of this book? I liked it but it feels like a book with an obvious point. It was more "good" or "deep" than beautiful (not to say it didn't have moments of beauty). There is also 0 subtlety

>> No.17587537

>>17587478
It serves as a good introduction to existentialism and dealing with existential angst. Its not a be all end all book, but now you can move on to the myth of sisyphus or other authors.

>> No.17587651

>>17587537
are Camus's other novels good?

>> No.17587832

I didn't really see what's so great about it. Did I get pleb filtered or is it just a meme?

>> No.17587838

mostly boring

>> No.17588311

>>17587651
The Plague's good as well, it also deals with existentialism

>> No.17588495

oh nooo I'm so sad I'm gonna shoot this innocent minority.. Any anons relate to this feel, this comfy kino based redpilled feel of slaying innocent minortities, oooh it feels so bad being born into a comfortable first world existence... Do you ever just feel like you were born DIFFERENT from other people bros... oh well, time to kill more innocent minorities lel existence is meaningless!

>> No.17588501

>>17587478
>Translation
Ngmi

>> No.17588504

>>17587537
>existentialism

>> No.17588537

>>17588501
>ma /lit/ est morte

>> No.17588553

>>17587651
both The Plague and The Fall are better, both as stories AND le symbolism novels.

>> No.17588558

>>17587478
_The Myth of Sisyphus_ derives moral freedom and innocence from the absurd:
>"An attempt is made to get him to admit his guilt. He feels innocent. To tell the truth, that is all he feels—his irreparable innocence. This is what allows him everything."
Later in the essay he balks and tries to tone it down:
>"That innocence is to be feared. 'Everything is permitted,' exclaims Ivan Karamazov. That, too, smacks of the absurd. But on condition that it not be taken in the vulgar sense. I don’t know whether or not it has been sufficiently pointed out that it is not an outburst of relief or of joy, but rather a bitter acknowledgment of a fact. The certainty of a God giving a meaning to life far surpasses in attractiveness the ability to behave badly with impunity. The choice would not be hard to make. But there is no choice, and that is where the bitterness comes in. The absurd does not liberate; it binds. It does not authorize all actions. 'Everything is permitted' does not mean that nothing is forbidden. The absurd merely confers an equivalence on the consequences of those actions. It does not recommend crime, for this would be childish, but it restores to remorse its futility."
_The Stranger_ is a more extreme, more unapologetic exploration of moral freedom and innocence.

>> No.17588573

>>17588495
Lol

I liked the book, OP. The blowup at the priest at the end, in the jail cell, was a satisfying catharsis. The whole work is perhaps a bit juvenile by nature, but that's not inherently a bad thing.

>> No.17588590

>>17588501
who said I read a translation, faggot?

>> No.17588595

I expected much more. I read It in french, to ensure I was getting what the author meant, so some parts might have been lost in translation. However, it was an underwhelming read, I expected crystal-clear insights but what I got -in my opinion- was the unrefined and naked thought process the author revealed. But it was easy yo read nonetheless.

>> No.17588603

>>17588573
I agree, I think it's a book I'll recommend for people who are new to /lit/

>> No.17588733

>>17587832
Filtré

>> No.17588767

>>17588590
The cover you posted

>> No.17588846

We did a lesson during literature class in school and this was one of the books we covered, it's a very cool story to read because how the main character describes the story, definitely recommend it since it's short too in the first place

>> No.17588920

Gorgeous writing if you read it in French, the Matthew Ward translation is pretty close too. As for the "message", initially I found it a bit banal, overdone, I thought maybe it was great for it's time but how many times have you seen indifference and unsociability portrayed in the movies by now? Then, as I grew out of a stupid fucking 15 year old, I truly "got" it. You see, Camus isn't trying to potray Mersault as sympathetic or calling him the stranger. That would be such a pedestrian thing to do. What he's really trying to tell you is the theory of obsession. Mersault as a character is a sort of a pastiche of Parisian intellectuals while at the same time, being so unlike them. Mersault's inner life is an obsession with society, his desire to understand society by doing the opposite of what would be rational. Mersault understands the point of society and he does fit in by rejecting the norms. His comical indifference is the point people latch on to but Camus was truly trying to show us the obsession of society with indifference while the alien's obsession with society itself. Disregarding the final pages which are clearly Camus rallying against death penalty, showing us why it's dumb, the rest of the book is just Mersault obsessing over the idea of society, rejecting it's existence at first but slowly coming around to believe as he is sentenced to death.

>> No.17588952

>>17587478
Reminder that it was self-defence.

>> No.17588975

>>17588920
Mersault is a reflection of the uncaring world, who society condemns because he reminds them of the meaningless of existence. His character arc is to become aware of his nature and its resemblance to the world, and then to rebel against meaningless and condemn himself for his actions even though there is no absolute authority for doing so. He welcomes his own execution and the hatred of society as an act of rebellion against the absurd.

None of this is even slightly ambiguous, it is the philosophy Camus explicitly states elsewhere and it's practically stated in the final chapters with the priest and then Mersault in his cell alone.

>> No.17589054

>>17588975
That's pretty meh then, I always thought of it another way

>> No.17589662

Mersault fails to wholly understand the meaningless of the universe, his nihilism is instead directed towards society and himself. He is the manifestation of existential panic and confusion and as such he is lost, and wanders through life aimlessly using his beliefs as a sort of solace in knowing his actions are "meaningless". He passively embraces the absurd instead of actively ignoring it. His trial presents a means for his awakening from his half-asleep life, during which he realizes he is a threat of society based on his beliefs, thus giving his life "meaning" but still failing to see the bigger picture.
Mersault could be seen as a tool of the human psyche, a vehicle of existential understanding, that is at great danger of being misused.

>> No.17589696

>>17588952
The guy was literally lying down on his back taking a nap

>> No.17589776

>>17588846
I hope I'm allowed to teach it in an American classroom if I get a high school teacher job.

>> No.17589843

>>17589776
Let me be more exact with the details so I can give you hope. In Literature class in high school, out textbook, which btw I'm not American, composed of parts from different books, so for about 3 lessons, we covered this book alone and the meaning behind it. So considering english isn't our first language and we spent so much time on this great book, I'm certain you'll become a teacher and be allowed to cover this book

>> No.17589870

I don't know yet I just ordered it.

>> No.17589874

>>17589696
Are you sure? I read it a year ago, but I remember the Arab noticing Mersault coming up to him and pulling the knife out, but not getting up.

>> No.17589960

>>17589874
Yeah, it’s the Arab who pulls the knife out in self defence. Meursault doesn’t even do it intentionally, he just spergs our due to heatstroke

>> No.17590074

>>17589776
I read this book in an American high school, don't see why it would be an issue.