The Stranger by Albert Camus

Paperback Edition

One of the most influential novels of the 20th century, The Stranger (L’Étranger) by Albert Camus is a landmark work of existentialist and absurdist literature that continues to provoke, disturb, and illuminate readers around the world. Spare, precise, and utterly unforgettable, it is a novel that asks the most fundamental questions about human existence — and refuses to offer easy answers.

Published in 1942, The Stranger introduced the world to Meursault, one of literature’s most enigmatic protagonists — a man who feels emotionally detached from the world around him, even as events spiral toward an inevitable and devastating conclusion.

About the Story

When Meursault’s mother dies, he feels nothing. Days later, he kills a man on an Algerian beach — seemingly without motive or remorse. What follows is a trial that becomes less about the crime and more about Meursault’s refusal to conform to society’s expectations of grief, guilt, and meaning. It is a story about the absurdity of existence and the freedom — and terror — of living without illusion.

Why This Novel Endures

• A foundational text of existentialism and the philosophy of the absurd
• Written by Nobel Prize-winning author Albert Camus
• Essential reading in literature, philosophy, and humanities courses worldwide
• Translated into dozens of languages and read by millions across generations
• Compact and powerful — one of the most impactful short novels ever written

“Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can’t be sure.” — One of the most famous opening lines in all of literature.