The Stranger

Camus received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957, and The Stranger remains his most widely read and discussed work. Through the radical indifference of its narrator Meursault, the novel crystallizes the philosophy of absurdism, presenting a protagonist who refuses to perform the emotional rituals that society demands. It stands as one of the most influential novels of the twentieth century, reshaping how fiction could explore alienation and meaning.

Written during the Second World War in French Algeria, The Stranger reflects the tensions of colonial North Africa and the moral disorientation of wartime Europe. The novel has become a core text in world literature, its exploration of absurdity and estrangement resonating with readers across cultures and generations.