'My mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don't know.'In The Outsider
(1942), his classic existentialist novel, Camus explores the alienation
of an individual who refuses to conform to social norms. Meursault, his
anti-hero, will not lie.
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 near
Algiers, his lack of remorse compounds his guilt in the eyes of society
and the law. Yet he is as much a victim as a criminal.
Albert
Camus' portrayal of a man confronting the absurd, and revolting against
the injustice of society, depicts the paradox of man's joy in life when
faced with the 'tender indifference' of the world. Sandra Smith's
translation, based on close listening to a recording of Camus reading
his work aloud on French radio in 1954, sensitively renders the
subtleties and dream-like atmosphere of L'Etranger. Albert Camus
(1913-1960), French novelist, essayist and playwright, is one of the
most influential thinkers of the 20th century.
The Outsider - Albert Camus
- Product Code:New
- Availability:In Stock
-
£7.99