Reader discussion: The Stranger

Public reader discussion about The Stranger in the WeRead Catalog by Gordon R. Dickson.

The Stranger in the Woods

By Seal-Field9719

Has anyone read Michael Finkel’s *The Stranger in the Woods*? It’s about a guy who just vanished and ended up living like a hermit in the Maine woods for 27 years, surviving by taking food and stuff from nearby summer cabins, and somehow staying hidden long enough to turn into this real legend. I also have a weird personal connection to it—every summer when I was growing up, we’d stay at one of the same cabins he’d been taking from, and I think his camp was under a quarter mile from where me and my friends hung out. Knowing he was out there the whole time, basically watching, made the whole book feel extra unsettling for me.

The Stranger by Albert Camus - what are your thoughts and interpretations?

By restless_garden68

This was my first time reading Camus, and I honestly liked it a lot. It’s pretty short and I flew through it—maybe a day and a half? Even so, it somehow still hit pretty hard. I haven’t really gone looking for much discussion beforehand, so I’m mainly curious what other people think. The whole thing felt kind of like this weird, off-balance fever dream. Meursault is so shut down and not very emotional (or maybe just kind of messed up/stunted) that the narration feels detached and almost clinical. It’s like he’s always right on the edge of something—some big emotional moment—and then it backs away again. To me that was super obvious in the beach scene, where it feels like everything is building up under that brutal heat and pushing him toward a mental snap… but he never really gets there. The court parts had the same vibe too. Like he’s about to react or judge himself or something, but it doesn’t quite turn into anything. I can’t decide what Camus is actually trying to say. Is this basically a character study of someone who’s emotionally dead and just can’t care anymore? Or am I missing some bigger cultural or societal angle? He kind of watches people and the world like they’re at a distance, and it doesn’t seem like he feels much about anything. Even when he talks to Marie, the whole “I love you” thing comes off like it means nothing. But then I also wonder if maybe the point is that in a totally messed-up world, the only way to survive it is to shut yourself off completely, so you don’t have to deal with the pain. I’d love to hear how other people read it, because I’m not sure I’ve got it figured out.

Please suggest books like The Stranger by Albert Camus

By NeedleRusty5

I just finished that book and also read *The Myth of Sisyphus*. The Sisyphus one is more philosophical non-fiction, and I liked it, even though absurdism was totally new to me. But I honestly enjoyed *The Stranger* the most. It felt pretty straightforward to read, and it was actually really easy overall. Any suggestions for something similar? It doesn’t have to be about absurdism specifically, but I’m open to anything—so I’d love recommendations.

"The Stranger" by Albert Camus: Am I missing something?

By quietenvelope6

I asked a bunch of friends what their favorite books were, and one of them told me I really had to read The Stranger by Albert Camus. So I did, and now I’ve even looked at some interpretations online, but I still don’t really get why people love it. I did like the writing style, though. I just couldn’t stand Meursault or his whole way of thinking. I kind of assumed the whole point was that he was meant to be unlikeable, like a “don’t live like this” kind of message. But when I read what other people say online, it seems like a lot of them actually like him and agree with his outlook. If you enjoyed the book, could you tell me what you liked about it? And how are you supposed to interpret Meursault’s character and his philosophy?

The stranger by Camus

By RestlessSilver8

This quote has stuck with me for a really long time after reading the book. “I think I finally got why, near the end of her life, mama had taken a fiancé, why she’d chosen to begin again. So close to death, she must have felt free, ready to live one more time. Nobody had any right to cry for her. I felt ready to begin life again too.” “I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world” Being so near death, he also felt like starting over. Life is so pointless and so brief like that. The part that stayed with me most, whether it was something Camus meant or not, is “no one had the right to cry for her” Death really shouldn’t be the last thing we remember about someone. I really hate it when someone dies and then all anyone can think about is their death, like the whole memory gets swallowed up by sadness and grieving. I know that’s grief, but part of me wants people’s absence to be filled with the memories of them being alive, to keep that there instead of burying their whole life under that one final moment. Death shouldn’t end up defining a whole person. If only we remembered the life they lived and held onto that, instead of mourning everything they were and filling it all with tears

The Stranger - Albert Camus (Full Text)

By UnfetterWrites

Thanks for sharing this. I read the book back in high school and I really didn’t like it. But it seems like a lot of people are into it, so maybe I’m missing something—I think I’m gonna try it again.

I just read "the stranger" by Camus

By Violet_Panda

I’d love to hear what other people think about the book, too. To me it feels like it’s easier for the story to show what Meursault feels, not what he doesn’t. Camus even makes that work really well. Meursault clearly has thoughts about what’s happening, but he doesn’t really say them out loud most of the time. He doesn’t act on them either, and he barely reacts—like he only speaks when there’s actually something to say. And I keep getting the sense that Meursault’s “maman” is kind of like God to him. He doesn’t believe in God because God feels just as absent as she is. But even though that “hand” is gone from his life, he still holds onto what he learned from her—like when he recalls what she used to say and just agrees with it. After that, I think he’s basically convinced there’s no real meaning left, and he can’t buy into the idea that someone exists who would give life meaning. That’s also why he talks about everything kind of like he’s not fully in it, like he’s mostly just the narrator—so we never really get his name or age. And it makes sense to me that he wouldn’t bother with any of that if it doesn’t mean anything to him. He also feels strangely consistent. Like he’s got values and he sticks to himself instead of changing his opinions just to be liked. He’s kind of plain, not easy to relate to, and he doesn’t show much empathy—but somehow his dullness makes him really interesting. I couldn’t put the book down.

I don’t understand what is so mind blowing about The Stranger by Camus

By thymeGlade1993

This is a place for talking about and appreciating classic literature—everything from plays and poems to essays, short stories, and novels. People seem to discuss all kinds of stuff too, like analysis, criticism, background on the writing, and the author’s history, plus whatever social or political situation was going on when it was made.

The Trial (Kafka) & The Stranger (Camus)

By StoneForest38

There’s something about this trial that feels really similar to the stranger. I’m not totally sure why, but maybe it’s because the two main characters go through kind of the same stuff as the story goes on. Also, the whole weird/absurd vibe in both books seems to stand out the same way to me.

Discussion - Albert Camus' "The Stranger"

By KindSparrow

Just wrapped up this book and wanted to hear what other people thought. I really liked the writing style and the whole storyline, but I kept getting stuck on Meursault. Like, what am I actually supposed to feel about him? Am I meant to like him, or is the point that you’re not supposed to agree with what he does?

The Stranger by Albert Camus

By Folio_Sunny

I asked my older brother if he had any good book suggestions since he’s taking a college English class, and he told me to read *The Stranger* by Albert Camus. And wow… I did not expect to feel this way. It’s not a long book at all, I basically finished it in one sitting, but it totally messed with how I think about the narrator/protagonist. Like, early on he just seems pretty normal—kind of quirky, but nothing insane, and I’m sure that’s how a lot of people come off. But later, it had me second-guessing the narrator in a lot of books. Are we supposed to automatically treat the person telling the story as the “good one” or the one who’s right? Or do we read with a bias already built in just because they’re the one talking? I’d really love to hear what other people think about this book.

The Stranger, by Albert Camus blew my mind when I finished it, what did you all think?

By basil_trail

“Maman died today” sounds so brutal right away, and then the end really hit me in a weird way. By the time I finished, I felt like it was basically saying death and that whole nihilism thing are the same idea. I went in completely blind, like I always do, and I read it in two days so it was all still fresh when that clicked. The red sand on the beach, the way it gets called the AntiChrist, and how he just doesn’t really care about anything—none of it felt random once I understood where it was going. I’m still not 100% sure I’m getting everything, but it all somehow added up. What a book.

Thoughts on 'The Stranger' by Albert Camus? (Spoilerish)

By SilentRabbit

This has ended up being one of my favorite books so far. It’s really beautiful, and it makes you think in a way I didn’t expect. Also, that whole part where the narrator just snaps and starts yelling… wow. The anger, the hopelessness, the way she’s certain while he seems so sure of nothing—it hits hard. And the ending of it feels pretty intense too, like she’s got nothing except her own grip on her life and what’s coming. Amazing.

The Stranger Guest: The Literature of Pregnancy and New Motherhood

By wonder_marten23

Really glad I didn’t skip this article. It feels like such a useful thing to think about for anyone thinking about feminism and books.

The message of Camus' The Stranger

By atlas-quiet1775

I get the idea that a big part of the point is that Meursault basically gets judged and convicted more for how weird/removed he is from other people than for what he actually did. That’s kind of what I was told in literature class too. But wouldn’t it hit harder if he was actually innocent, and it was his odd detached personality (and whatever philosophy he has) that caused people to wrongly convict him? To me, the way it is now, it feels like the people judging him aren’t really doing anything wrong, so I’m not sure the message lands the way it’s supposed to.

I just finished reading The Stranger and here is my thoughts

By plasmaarch20

I was just hanging out in my living room looking at some boxes and then I spotted my copy of Camus’s *The Stranger*. I picked it up and ended up blowing through it in like three days. I’m an atheist, and I’ve basically always been. As a kid I just never understood the whole thing of dedicating your life to religion, but I do respect other people and where they’re coming from. Honestly, *The Stranger* was pretty intense. You can feel the nihilism and existentialism almost the whole time. I think it’s one of those books that non-believers might get more out of just because of the themes. The part that stuck with me most was when Meursault yells at and attacks the priest—mostly because it made me think about how I’ve wanted to do something similar to priests for years for my own reasons. Overall though, I really liked it and I appreciate it.

What are your thoughts regarding “ The stranger” by Albert Camus

By InkNight

Honestly, I felt kind of underwhelmed by this. Not sure if it’s because I’ve already seen/read a ton of stuff that was inspired by it, just in a more dumbed-down way. Also, I think I read somewhere that Camus was really influenced by Dostoevsky, and I’ve already gone through a lot of Dostoevsky already. Curious what you all think about this one though—what did it mean to you?

why is The Stranger so highly regarded?

By paperbackmarket2003

I’m not really feeling this one so far—already about halfway in and it’s not clicking. I guess I just enjoyed Death of Ivan Ilyich way more.

Camus' 'The Stranger:' What should I be looking for?

By LuckyEnvelope

Hey everyone—this is my first time posting. I finished *The Stranger* last night and I honestly didn’t get the same big reaction from it that my friends did. I feel like maybe there was something I overlooked, but the writing is so plain and straightforward that it was kind of a relief, and I don’t know what I would’ve missed. My friends told me it either made them really grossed out or just super sad. I’m supposed to bring it back to the library tomorrow, but if I ever grab it again later, are there specific parts of the writing or the plot I should pay closer attention to? What I took from it is basically this: the main character decides life doesn’t have meaning, so after that he just treats his choices like they don’t matter. Like he figures that if you let a decision mean something, you end up caring about what happens, and then it gets uncomfortable. Am I off, or is that actually the point?

The stranger by Albert Camus is a wonderful book

By ParcelShadow1980

Yeah, this was definitely a page-turner and really fun to read. I liked how the book starts strong, and how the whole thing is put together with the character work. What I actually respected a lot was how it shows emotion and how the feelings shift depending on the situation, like what gets thrown at Mersault. But even with all that, I don’t think it’s the only thing that made me fully love it. What I ended up caring about most is how Camus kind of builds in nihilism into Mersault—his life, his choices, all of it. It gives you this weird but real kind of insight into life from a nihilist perspective, where he isn’t really running on society’s “values,” but more just fully accepting that life doesn’t really have meaning, and that ethics and values don’t have any real weight either.