Philosophical fiction

The Stranger

Albert Camus

A brief, stark novel about judgment and the absurd.

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Details

Genre

Existential fiction

Subgenre

Absurdist crime novel

Original publication

1942

Original publisher

Gallimard

Pages

123

Format

Paperback, hardcover and ebook editions

Language

English

Setting

French Algeria

ISBN

9780679720201

Original title

The Stranger

absurdism existentialism alienation trial crime mortality philosophy short

About the book

Meursault's emotional detachment after his mother's death leads into crime, trial and confrontation with meaninglessness.

A short philosophical classic for readers asking about absurdism, detachment, judgment, mortality and existential thought.

The novel's power lies in its flat surface and the pressure readers feel to interpret what Meursault refuses to explain.

It is useful for searches around philosophy, alienation, short classics and moral ambiguity.