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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book of thought and existentialism,
By Geoffrey Zenger (Burnaby, BC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Outsider (Everymans Library Classics) (Hardcover)
Albert Camus' "Outsider" is a short, to the point, two part novel. The first introduces us to the characters and leads up to the killing of an Arab on the beach by the principal characters. The second follows his ordeal afterwards, his thoughts and his trial. He is persecuted as a cold killer due to his lack of visible emotion or remorse. He is concerned only for himself. As mentioned in a previous review, this is a book of thought and questioning. Camus questions the pillars of Western society and questions humanities uncanny ability to believe that the majority is correct and that anybody else is different and thus can be persecuted. I would recommed "Outsider" for a quick, extremely thought-provoking read. This classic is reknowned as one of the basic foundations of existentialist philosophy.
11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More than what it seems to be,
By "yourwordsdotca" (Toronto) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Outsider (Everymans Library Classics) (Hardcover)
Originally L'Etranger, the english version I read was (obviously) a translation from the original French language in which the book was conceived. The story is in two parts. The first is of Meursault, the main character- establishing and developing his character. It traces his days up until the point where he commits a murder for no apparent reason. The second part describes his incarceration, reflections on what has transpired, and his trial. It is written plainly enough to be taken as a simple story, which makes it somewhat enjoyable on a most basic level- though to take it as such ultimately defies the purpose of the novel. I wish my French was strong enough to have read the original. I hate translations as they destroy half of any author's story- the language he chooses for his tale. **WARNING** SPOILERS POSTED BELOW **WARNING** Historically, the book was partly written to defy the conventions of the time by utilizing the common daily language of the people (instead of the rigid formality that was enforced at the time). It was also written to identify, interpret, explain the ins and outs of Existentialist thought. The basis of Existentialism, as I understand it, is that life is simply what it is, and no more. Concepts such as God, Heaven, Hell, the Soul, Eternity, Destiny, and so on, are but illusions that we feed upon to define some form of meaning for ourselves. Wake up, (says the Existentialist) your life is only your life. You are not pre-ordained to greatness. There is no Master Plan. You live and die, and in between you will make some choices that are of no ultimate consequence- nothing stops when you do; only you cease to exist. Our life, if I may, is just the flip-side of a coin. When no one is flipping anymore, the coin remains. In The Outsider, Meursault essentially wakes up one day and realizes that his "life" is manmade, and really, dictated by society; that anything he does or has done will not and can not have any consequence. With this new liberation, he begins a fresh journey, unchained from the burden of the concept of "consequence". Though the story is told from a first-person perspective, it is conveyed in a flat, impersonal tone that would suggest even Meursault himself feels detached from the events that surround him. When his Mother dies, Mersault is unaffected emotionally (though complains of the distance he must travel for the funeral and the inconvenience of having to miss work) and refuses to put on the show that society demands in such a situation. I believe that Camus had a clear point to prove in how the other characters responded to him. Though he is sincere in his responses, he is perceived by some to be alienating and suspicious, while others continue on playing their game/roles (i.e., his girlfriend Marie) despite his inability (or lack of wont) to play along with them- the former outcast him for not playing along, while the latter simply keep playing as though he were. This illustrates our lack of autonomy from the social body and, ironically, our immobility without it. If this helps, check out www dot yourwords dot ca for more. Don't bother with this book unless you're into philosophy and pulling a higher meaning out of people's writing. The first time I read it I thought it was garbage until I talked with my Philosophy professor about it and got some insight into the imagery of the text. **WARNING** SPOILERS POSTED ABOVE **WARNING**
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A primer on existential philosophy?,
By Paul Weiss (Dundas, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Outsider (Penguin Modern Classics) (Paperback)
Meursault is a clerk in Algiers, an intentionally non-descript young man with no particularly interesting traits, characteristics, skills or habits. Now considered to be mandatory reading for those interested in notions of existential or nihilist philosophy, Albert Camus' "The Outsider" or "L'Étranger" is the story of Meursault's life. Or perhaps it might be more precise to suggest that it is the tale of Meursault's indifference to and virtually complete lack of participation in the events surrounding him - how, in a sense, he is almost an indifferent, meta-observer of his own diffident state of being.As the story opens, Meursault is told of his mother's death and, although he grudgingly attends her funeral, he does not weep nor does he display any of the typical reactions or emotions that are expected of a person in his situation. In fact, instead of mourning, he engages in a casual sexual relationship with a former acquaintance that he enountered that day. A few days after the funeral, as a result of an almost absurd string of events and circumstances, Meursault shoots and kills a man. But rather than displaying any remorse or concern, we witness Meursault casually sit through his own trial and judgment with virtually complete detachment and indifference. Before his execution, a chaplain attempts to discuss matters of faith with him and turn him to God but, as with other events in his life, Meursault is disinterested and reconciled to the world's lack of interest in him and his fate as well. In trying to make some sense of what I had read, I wanted to at least learn a little bit about existentialism. As I now undertand it, a central proposition of existentialism is that existence precedes essence, which means that the actual life of the individual is what constitutes what could be called his or her "essence" instead of there being a predetermined essence that defines what it is to be a human. Thus, the human being creates his own values and determines a meaning to his life. Ergo, I am concluding this means that Meursault is the quintessential existentialist in that he had determined the steps of his own life, made his own choices and lived with them. Having done so, he was indifferent to others and their reactions to what he perceived as his own self-worth. I can say that The Outsider was ... well, interesting. For my tastes, unfortunately, I'd also have to categorize it as very bleak and joyless and certainly far from compelling. Perhaps, as a reader, I'm a bit thick when it comes to thinking of matters philosophical. But it is what it is and perhaps that's why I don't jump up and down suggesting that this is a must read classic. Recommended for those that want to challenge themselves with what one might call a thinking man's classic. Paul Weiss
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