Stranger than Fiction

Hey All,


There are about six blog posts in me, I swear.  I have four in draft mode in Blogger right now, and I know I have more to come.  I've just been having a hard time trying to find time to write, is all.  So here's the latest.


The Stranger truly is a pocket book; it fits in almost any pants or jacket pocket I have tried it in thus far. A nice change from Helter Skelter, for sure.  Though, I'm glad I read that book before my current one, as it gave me some insight into the law, and courts, that actually helps me understand The Stranger on another level.  Interesting juxtaposition from Helter Skelter, wherein I read about a case strictly from the point of view of the prosecution. This time, though in astonishingly less detail, I am reading from the defendant's viewpoint. Quite different, indeed.

I don't want to turn this blog into anything reselmbling an English course paper; it's supposed to be about my thoughts and reactions to the books I read, not some objective ideas about the notions that arise in the books.  But it's hard to avoid getting into proper criticism with books like The Stranger, for a couple of reasons.  One is that I fear, much as happened with The Alchemist, and my friend Sasha who recommended it to me, that if I don't delve deep enough into the content, I'll be chastised for missing the point.  Secondly, books like The Stranger are simultaneously so straightforward and so complex, that to merely react to the story line can be a little too simplistic and boring.

The main character seems unable to not speak - let alone think - the absolute truth. Even in situations where a little lie might help him out, the thought never occurs to him. I don't want to give a whole lot away about the book, but he ends up killing a man. He seems completely without remorse, and accepts that his fate is to pay for his crime. Yet he isn't appalled with himself (as I would be), nor does he attempt to evade his punishment by, as I mentioned, perhaps telling a few little white lies. Because of this, I don't think he's a great character in the way of reflecting the actions and thoughts of a real human being. That might be what Camus sought to achieve.  But being a student of history, I can't help but this that it also has to do with the period in which the book was written. Compared to today's literature, like, for example, City of Thieves, where the character is very real and has very real flaws, this character is wooden. That's something that happened in literature and film of that era, I think.

So far the book is enjoyable, if frustrating at times (for the reason I mentioned in the paragraph above).  I'm excited to see how it all plays out, though it's pointing towards a pretty gloomy end.  I'm nearly done, and will read Nick Hornby's Songbook next, in the hope that it's a lighter read than these last two books have been.

-Bryan