A philosophical debate (The Outsider - Albert Camus)

Member Name: bluemoon37

Product:	The Outsider - Albert Camus
Date:	12/09/09 (38 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Throws up certain question on morals

Disadvantages: Slow paced in parts, emotionless, detachment

Originally, I started to read The Outsider ( L'etranger) in french and I thought that I was missing something or I had a problem with not understainding, so I bought the book on Amazon at £6.99 to translate.
It turns out that there was no problem with my understanding. I have to explain why I thought this.
The book is completely from the perspective of our protagonist Meaursault, set in French Algiers wrote between 1937 and 1942. It is a very well known literary piece of work in France.
The book begins with line, "Mother had died, today or maybe yesterday", Meursault attends his mothers funeral and appears entirely emotionless. This foreshadows what is to come for the rest of the book.
The character of Meursault, I find completely annoying but equally intriguing as quite an emotional person. I later come to understand the point of the book and how life is so abbsurd and we as humans search for meaning, yet there is no meaning to life. The only truth we knoe is death and we have to live for the moment.
The book in itself is very difficult to explain but it is definately a book that deserves credit and its themes need exploring in depth to come to a conclusion.
I would recommend the book, although not for everyone, it does appeal to a more philosophical, annaylitical reader for comprehension.

Summary: What is socially acceptable?