The Stranger

Albert Camus’ The Stranger is a stark and provocative exploration of existentialism, set against the sun-soaked backdrop of colonial Algeria. The novel follows Meursault, an emotionally detached and indifferent man, whose passive acceptance of life’s absurdity leads him to commit a senseless murder. Camus uses Meursault’s trial and imprisonment to confront ideas about the meaning of existence, free will, and society’s search for justice. Through its spare prose and Meursault’s unsettling indifference, The Stranger explores the disconnection between societal expectations and individual experience.

Reading The Stranger is an exercise in confronting the uncomfortable truth of life’s meaninglessness. Camus challenges readers to question the structures that give life purpose—religion, morality, justice—by placing them in opposition to a character who simply refuses to adhere to any of them. Be prepared for an emotionally disorienting experience, where detachment and absurdity collide, forcing you to reconsider what it means to live authentically in an indifferent universe.