LD201 Café Littéraire: The Stranger, by Albert Camus

The Stranger, by Albert Camus, tells the story of Meursault, a detached and emotionally indifferent man living in French Algeria. After his mother's death, Meursault becomes involved in a series of events that culminate in his senseless killing of an Arab man on a sunlit beach. Through Meursault’s trial and ultimate condemnation, the novel explores themes of absurdity, alienation, and the meaning of life. Camus presents a stark examination of society’s expectations and the human confrontation with a universe devoid of inherent purpose.

Published in 1942, The Stranger is considered a seminal work of existentialist literature and a cornerstone of Camus’s philosophy of the absurd.