It has constantly been itching me to write something about Albert Camus' "The outsider" ever since I have read the book. It has been several weeks since then. But the thoughts about the book are still in my mind afresh as though I read it just few minutes back. It is one of the best books I have read so far. I have heard of existentialism before but never thought that I would know about it by walking through the mind of an existentialist, who obviously stands outside of our territory in which we don't dare to allow someone of his sort.
This is not a review. But the thoughts about the book goes in more detail because it is one of the best written books of 20th Century. Let me start with an incident that had happened after reading the book, which perhaps may better help me to explain why I think the book is one of the best.
Shortly after I have finished reading the book and was impressed by the way it has been written, I happen to mention the same to one of my friends. She was interested in good reads, so I gave her the book. She read the first few lines of the book in front of me,
"Mother died today. Or may be yesterday, I don't know. I had a telegram from the home: 'Mother passed away. Funeral tomorrow. Yours sincerely.' That doesn't mean anything. It may have been yesterday."
Immediately after reading the lines, she looked at me and uttered the words, "heartless person". I smiled. After a few minutes of silence I said, "read it, it is such a great book, written so very well."
She said, "lets see.."
After a week or two, I forgot that I gave her the book. She called me one day and asked, "can we meet today? I want to return that book."
"Yes, of course... when?"
"Evening.. say 8?"
"Sure..", and I hung up the phone.
In fact, I was little surprised that she did not comment anything on the book. I was at least expecting a one liner about how the book was for I felt it is one of the best I have read so far. After a short while, I called her back, "do you want any other book?"
"Yes, any fiction would help."
"You didn't like that book, did you?", I asked.
"Yes, I didn't like it.", she said without giving any clue on what she thinks inside.
"Why you didn't like it ?", I was very curious.
"Why means..? I just didn't like it.", and she has full stopped the talk.
"oki..", and I hung up.
To be honest, I was very surprised, she didn't like it. Well, it is not that everyone has to have the similar taste. But then later some day when I happen to talk about this book to someone else, I kind of got an insight of why she might possibly not have liked the book.
The primary character of the book is a very cold, heartless, emotionless person. When I could sense why she might not have liked the book, I couldn't control laughing. People expect the protagonist to be a nice, charming, good-hearted human being. But in this book, the primary character comes across as a person who doesn't even mourn for his mother's death, supports a friend who tries to abuse his girl friend, kills a man who is not at all related to him. Very cold in nature. Well, at least that is how we call them or would like to perceive them (people like him). As a matter of fact, such perception hardly affects them which is a different story altogether.
I didn't like the primary character of the book either. He is not the kind of person I'm or the kind of person I would like to be or the kind of person I would appreciate. But I couldn't resist myself from appreciating his non-pretending nature. However it is not the point. A book is not always about the personality of the primary character. The beauty of the book lies somewhere else. The way in which the book is written. The style. The language. The characterization. How the characters have been rendered. How the story is told. How the mind of a person is presented for you to walk through. There is a lot more to be looked for in a book than the nature of the primary character. The only stories where I could imagine a perfectly genuine and absolutely good-hearted human being to be a protagonist are fairy tales.
In fact if you dislike the primary character by seeing him as someone who does not fit in your world, an outsider, the novel has achieved its purpose. Hence the title. This book's mind voice and it's language are stunning. The way it is written is absolutely brilliant. Even the thickness of the book tells the kind of character we are talking about. There couldn't have been more to write because of the kind of character we are dealing with. Epic writing.
I'm not an existentialist. Nor I appreciate existentialism very much. That doesn't stop me from appreciating this so very well written book of 20th century.
PS 1: If you are planning to read the book, read the one translated by Joseph Laredie. The other translations seems to be pathetic.
PS 2: The original book is written in french, hence PS 1.
-- Paul Arockiam
