logo

46 pages 1 hour read

The Immoralist

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1902

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Book Brief

logo
Andre Gide

The Immoralist

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1902
Book Details
Pages

144

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

France • Early 1900s

Publication Year

1902

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

The Immoralist by André Gide is a novel about Michel, a French scholar who marries Marceline, a Catholic woman, to fulfill his dying father's wish but soon falls ill with tuberculosis. As he recovers in North Africa, Michel's existential journey leads him to reject societal norms and pursue hedonistic pleasures, ultimately causing strain on his marriage and resulting in profound personal realizations and moral ambiguity. The book contains themes of illness and death.

Contemplative

Mysterious

Melancholic

Emotional

Challenging

Reviews & Readership

3.7

12,742 ratings

54%

Loved it

33%

Mixed feelings

14%

Not a fan

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

Reviews for The Immoralist by André Gide highlight the novel's exploration of self-discovery and moral ambiguity. Positively noted are its rich prose and profound psychological insight. Critics, however, mention its slow pacing and sometimes unlikeable protagonist. Overall, the novel is praised for its depth and challenging themes, despite some narrative flaws.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Immoralist?

A reader with a penchant for psychological introspection and moral dilemmas will enjoy André Gide's The Immoralist. Fans of Albert Camus' The Stranger and Fyodor Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground will appreciate its exploration of existential themes and the protagonist's conflict between societal norms and personal freedom.

3.7

12,742 ratings

54%

Loved it

33%

Mixed feelings

14%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

144

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

France • Early 1900s

Publication Year

1902

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Continue your reading experience

Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.