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Luís's Reviews > O Estrangeiro
O Estrangeiro
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The Stranger by Camus - which I picked up randomly from my library - is a classic of the 20th century, and I had never read it. Why? I do not know. Just as I did not know, or even nothing, precisely what this masterpiece of contemporary literature concealed.
The discovery was, therefore, complete. And that's what I like when I tackle real work. To know nothing about it, expect nothing, be guided only by its author, and experience only my feelings without previously being driven by outside opinions.
I was taken aback by these short, jerky, cold sentences that didn't betray emotion from the first pages. How well seen from Camus! Because, through his pen, it is his Meursault who expresses himself, who tells himself, who tells us.
Camus very cleverly withdrew, so he left me alone with Meursault. And, nothing to do. I can't feel
sympathy, empathy, or even antipathy for this guy. He is impenetrable. He leaves me outside. The wall he has erected between him and me is impassable, even worse, between him and me.
As Meursault recounts, I learned Alexithymia is a term that existed long ago in particular circumstances.
Alexithymia is a personality construct characterized by the inability to identify and describe emotions in oneself. Individuals suffering from this dysfunction also find it difficult to distinguish and appreciate the feelings of others, which leads to a hopeless and ineffective psychological response.
Here is the drama of Meursault. He is a stranger. Stranger to himself. Stranger to others. Stranger to life. A stranger to everything. He passes and does pass. He walks past us, next to himself. Like a breath. Neither hot nor cold, impalpable, inconsistent, and without more consciousness.
Awesome Camus!
The discovery was, therefore, complete. And that's what I like when I tackle real work. To know nothing about it, expect nothing, be guided only by its author, and experience only my feelings without previously being driven by outside opinions.
I was taken aback by these short, jerky, cold sentences that didn't betray emotion from the first pages. How well seen from Camus! Because, through his pen, it is his Meursault who expresses himself, who tells himself, who tells us.
Camus very cleverly withdrew, so he left me alone with Meursault. And, nothing to do. I can't feel
sympathy, empathy, or even antipathy for this guy. He is impenetrable. He leaves me outside. The wall he has erected between him and me is impassable, even worse, between him and me.
As Meursault recounts, I learned Alexithymia is a term that existed long ago in particular circumstances.
Alexithymia is a personality construct characterized by the inability to identify and describe emotions in oneself. Individuals suffering from this dysfunction also find it difficult to distinguish and appreciate the feelings of others, which leads to a hopeless and ineffective psychological response.
Here is the drama of Meursault. He is a stranger. Stranger to himself. Stranger to others. Stranger to life. A stranger to everything. He passes and does pass. He walks past us, next to himself. Like a breath. Neither hot nor cold, impalpable, inconsistent, and without more consciousness.
Awesome Camus!
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
June 24, 2020
– Shelved
December 24, 2021
– Shelved as:
e-5
July 22, 2023
– Shelved as:
french-literature
July 22, 2023
– Shelved as:
philosophy
February 9, 2024
– Shelved as:
albert-camus
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David
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rated it 3 stars
Sep 29, 2020 03:44PM
A very good book!
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David wrote: "A very good book!"It is, really.
You nailed it, Luis. I read this one years ago, before the days of Internet, and your review tells exactly how I felt about it. I had not heard of alexithymia, but that condition is what dominates the novel.
Bob wrote: "You nailed it, Luis. I read this one years ago, before the days of Internet, and your review tells exactly how I felt about it. I had not heard of alexithymia, but that condition is what dominates ..."well said, Bob. Many unknown and probably famous people suffer from this disease.
Hai wrote: "Great analytical and poetical assessment!Thank you";)
Beautifully written, Luis. 🌷
Parmida wrote: "Beautifully written, Luis. 🌷"Thank you, Parmida.
Another very strange, overrated in my opinion book.I wish you listed some more solid reasons why you thought it is considered a "masterpiece of contemporary literature."
The Outsider or The Stranger: the right title for the English language translation of Albert Camus’s 1942 classic, L’Étranger, isn’t apparent. Choosing a title is among the most critical decisions a literary translator must make. It is hard to sum up, a writer’s work in a new language, and once a title is on the cover, readers start to know the book by that name. An étranger can mean a foreign national, an alienated outsider or an unfamiliar traveller. So why has the novel always been called The Stranger in American editions and The Outsider in British ones? The two titles tempt us to fill in the blank with cultural or political theories. We could imagine, for example, that in the melting pot of New York, the immigrant publishing firm Knopf had a sense of foreignness that directed them towards The Stranger. In contrast, the English publisher Hamish Hamilton, in class conscious Britain, was more aware of social exclusion – hence The Outsider.
Great review, Luís. A grand many books on my tbr, but this is one demanding to be read soon.
Kate wrote: "Great review, Luís. A grand many books on my tbr, but this is one demanding to be read soon."Thank you, Kate. I hope you like it.
Brilliant review, my friend! Although this book was not for me the first time I read it, I do consider it’s a masterpiece too. Perhaps I should read it again, the first impression is not always the right one, so we’ll see. 🙋♂️☺️
Axl Oswaldo wrote: "Brilliant review, my friend! Although this book was not for me the first time I read it, I do consider it’s a masterpiece too. Perhaps I should read it again, the first impression is not always th..."
Thank you, Axl.
Great review Luis, this is my favourite book and when people discount it because Meursault “seems like a psychopath” it drives me up the wall lol. I look at it as a study in seeing reality through other peoples eyes.The last time I read it I tried to think of Meursault as being on the autism spectrum and it totally morphed it for me. Afterwards I did some research online and there one particular paper which says Camus described someone on the spectrum almost perfectly (years before the condition was even studied) and the person Meursault was based off in Camus life was considered an oddball and had many of the symptoms. Camus was credited in this particular paper with recognizing a mental illness and the ill persons misunderstanding in his actions. That’s just one of a million theories though lol.
Gary wrote: "Great review Luis, this is my favourite book and when people discount it because Meursault "seems like a psychopath" it drives me up the wall lol. I look at it as a study in seeing reality through ..." Thank you, Gary!
In maintaining the highest levels of honesty, Meursault embodies many ideals that society is keen to promote. Still, just as Kierkegaard exploded the aesthetic sphere of existence from within, Camus demonstrates the impossibility of living a life of moral sincerity, of honesty without compromise. Meursault had shunned by society for upholding their ideals to the extent that they cannot; there is complete congruence between his emotions, thoughts, and acts, which is unpalatable to those who fall short of these standards. When faced with realising their idealised morality, they cannot abide it and persecute Meursault for the sake of their hypocritical, delusional society as much as for his crimes. Meursault is "a menace to society" only in so much as he undermines society, which is why they put him to death.
Meursault's behaviour and ethos align with the ideals of Kant's Categorical Imperative, yet the result is a mechanical, sub-human existence. As the novel progresses, Meursault begins to see the hypocrisy of those moral arbiters of society charged with upholding the ideals of such an ethos and baulks at the hollowness of their rhetoric. Finally, as he waits for death in prison, Meursault turns inwards for morality and develops an informed pathos, not about his death, but the absurdity of the life surrounding him.
Mike wrote: "Super review👍"Thank you, Mike!
