Camus' "The stranger " is the story of a strange man who feels indifferent towards the nature of the world and any kind of emotions and relationships. This strange man Monsieur Mersualt is an employee. As an atheist in the world full of religious people, he seems strange and considered to be a deviated and abnormal being among the people. On his mother's death, Monsieur don't mourns which people around him can't stand. Later on, he comes under an arrest for murdering a person. In court, he is surprised to see that in people's opinion, not crying on his mother's death, proves him a cold hearted man with no heart and a criminal too.
Camus as a father of absurdist phillosophy validates his absurdist theory in this book through the character of Monsieur. The main character, the character of Monsieur is basically an anti-hero having no feelings and emotions regarding anything. But two or three times, he is found in a caring attitude for his neighbour's dog whether it was out of curiousity or sympathy.
This novel belongs to the movement of Absurdism that is a very popular one in literature. This book is worth reading for the phillosophy lovers.
There arises no sympathy or likeness for the main character but one finds the character very much interesting. A person with no feelings of love and hate. He is neither cold nor emotional in any sense. Nothing makes him happy and nothing makes him sad. He has attempted phillosophical sucide. Infact, Monsieur is a great example of an absurd man.
The novel consists of eleven chapters divided in to two parts. All chapters except the last one in their descriptive form are not of much importance. They make readers to just turn the pages
. But in last chapter, reader feels emotional when Monsieur talks to himself and discusses the nature of the world . Here reader finds the chunks of absurdism . The lovers of absurdism even at execution of Monsieur will find it pleasent by considering Monsieur happy. As Camus says for the cursed Sisyphus that "one must consider Sisyphus happy" .
Camus descibes his absurdist phillosophy in his several other works like in the "Myth of Sisiphus", his phillosophical book. So, for the people who don't know much about absudism should read Myth of Sisiphus. And those who find it difficult to comprehend the absurdist phillosophy generally, I would recommend them "The Stranger" .
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