Member Reviews

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  1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

  • Rated 5 stars

  “I don't know if I would enjoy this book now, but over forty years ago, the college I was entering asked all entering freshmen to read it. I did with great enthusiasm. When I got to school it seemed that hardly any else had. After one year I dropped out of that school and went to a different school later.”

  Cathy B wrote this review Monday, June 23 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

  • Rated 4 stars

  “The Stranger is considered to be one of the better known works of “absurd fiction,” and the novel is an existential apologetic for Camus. The novel proclaims the lack of any absolute truths, moral or religious. The story tells of a man who murders an Arab, without conscience; and who faces a firing squad, without emotion. The novel is cold, without normal relationships. The following are the final chilling lines to the novel, “I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world. Finding it so much like myself — so like a brother, really — I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again. For everything to be consummated, for me to feel less alone, I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate." (Sidenote: there is an interesting independent Japanese film entitled "Who's Camus, Anyway?" which I highly recommend if you are intrigued by the Camus connection, as well as a number of other literary references).”

  tapbirds wrote this review Monday, December 3 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “totally unexpected... i liked it alot actually... what a suprise”

  sundaytatu wrote this review 10 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 0 stars

  “Nice, short read. I thought the language was a bit simple at first, but by the end it becomes pretty eloquent. Interesting plot and characters.”

  jlover13 wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “I detest existentialism, however I LOVED this book. It added to my enjoyment that I had just read No Exit which I passionetly hated. I found Meursault intriguing, and the dynamic between him and others in the book very interesting. I also enjoyed the style a lot. ”

  John A wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “I like this period. Gatsby, the sun also rises, the stranger, kafka...anything written between 1925 and 1955 I seem to relate to. Maybe this is because our cultures are more similar then that of the 60's or on, but I think its just more a certain developing style that lead to a style style that I like. The Stranger is vivid and straight forward and I could not keep my eyes off it for the entire train ride from rockaway ro 110th street.”

  CORNELIA B wrote this review Monday, October 27 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “Why is is "The Stranger" and not "The Outsider?" I feel like that would be a better translation of the title (L'etranger)...
  
  This guy, like the Underground Man, is someone everybody knows -- he's totally stoic, and it doesn't bother him. I'm not sure if it's existentialism or not.
  
  Not a bad book, and I read it in an afternoon (in English, of course -- it would have taken me much longer in French, because my french is so bad). I like Camus.”

  Monica J wrote this review Monday, October 27 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 3 stars

  “There's parts that are brilliant, and then there's parts that aren't so brilliant. Interesting book overall though.”

  koopa matthew wrote this review Monday, October 27 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “The main character just exists. He does the things he does almost without thought, without attachment, definitely without any ulterior motives. I highly recommend it, particularly if you want to get a bead on what existentialism is all about (also Sartre's Nausea, for that).
  
  --update: It's imperative that you know that The Cure wrote a well-known song based on this book. I won't say which one because then this review would contain a spoiler, but if you can't figure it out let me know and I'll tell you.”

  Collin T wrote this review Wednesday, October 1 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 0 stars

  “I read this only as a response to hearing in a press conference that President Bush was reading it. Considering that in part of the book the main character was attacked by Arabs and the story followed that theme for a little while I don't really believe that W was reading it. I just think it was a planted statement. ”

  Michael T wrote this review Tuesday, September 9 2008. ( reply | permalink )