The Stranger

The Stranger is a short novel by French author Albert Camus, published in 1942. The story combines themes of absurdism and existentialism and is considered a classic of 20th-century literature. This guide uses the translation by Stuart Gilbert.

Plot Summary

Meursault, a young man living in Algiers, receives a message which tells him that his mother has died. He takes a bus to the retirement home where she lived and stays with her body before the funeral. His mother is buried the next day, but Meursault demonstrates none of the emotions expected of a grieving son. He spends more time scrutinizing the elderly funeral attendees than he does thinking about his mother.

Upon returning to Algiers, Meursault goes to a swimming pool where he reunites with a former coworker named Marie. They develop a romantic relationship and, after a date at the cinema, she spends the night with him. However, Meursault struggles to commit to any emotions regarding their relationship. Over the coming days, Meursault strengthens his friendship with a neighbor named Raymond Sintes, who enlists Meursault to exact revenge on his Algerian mistress. Sintes blames the woman for being unfaithful to him, and he wants to embarrass her.