"The Stranger"

     The Stranger was written by Albert Camus in 1942.  Albert Camus is to the France as Mark Twain is to the US.  The Stranger has become the quintessential existentialist manifesto.  Originally written in French, the novel has been translated into English on three separate occasions.  Each translation is still the basic story and plot, with only a few variations in wording and sentence structures.

   The story surrounds Meursault whose mother has just died.  Being a very stoic man, Meursault shows little emotion about this event, or any event in that case.  The book is divided into two parts.  The first follows Meursault through his daily life starting with his mothers death.  We meet his neighbors and romantic acquaintances, but never any real friends.  We follow Meursault to one of his acquaintance's summer homes on the beach where he commits an unexplainable crime.
     The second half follows Meursault through his time in prison and the days leading up to his court decision.  It's extremely interesting to read the court room scenes and see how previous actions that appeared to be benign are actually being used against Meursault.
     My only problems with the book are that it can be a bit frustrating to read for those of us who like to get straight to the point.  It does spend quite a bit of time discussing topics that don't seem to have any relevance.  Also, it is one of those books that is not exactly very life-affirming; it is not a feel good book. It leaves you scratching your head wondering what you just read.
     The Stranger is an extremely interesting and thought-provoking book that leaves the reader questioning reason and purpose for the rest of his or her life.

I give it 4 out of 5 Wildes.