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dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Alcohol
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Alcohol
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Overall, the book is very slow paced and feels as if it is dragged on and on with the in depth descriptions and slow moving plot. The book felt very slow at the beginning, then sped up when they named what was happening the plague, but then slow once again when in isolation. But while this was very difficult to keep reading because of this, in hindsight, it makes sense why the book was paced like this. Just like the pandemic that rampaged through Oran, it came on very quickly and then lingered, slowly dragging out. By pacing the story this way, Camus showcases the drawnoutness of the plague and how once it was over, everyone will forget about it and go back to their pre-plague lives. Camus also does an amazing job world building and creating so many characters with in depth descriptions. From the main character Rieux to even the cat spitting man who caught Tarrou's interest. This book also reminded me about the current situation of the world with COVID-19. Camus described how the people only began longing for those they love who they haven't seen in a while due to being forced into isolation. That's the same with what's happening with the world now. There are many connections one can make to this book. Overall, while slow, it was a good read if you can push through it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Blood, Vomit
Minor: Suicide attempt
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I don't know, I didn't particularly enjoy this book. It was fine I guess but I'll probably forget it in a year.
Though I think this was the right time to read this book, you know since COVID is the a thing after 2 years. The growing apathy you developed over the months of lockdown and no social interaction was exactly how I felt these past years, so that was great. I hope our pandemic ends soon and we can have the kinds of reunion like the people of Oran had in the end. The fear that it'll come back stays though.
Though I think this was the right time to read this book, you know since COVID is the a thing after 2 years. The growing apathy you developed over the months of lockdown and no social interaction was exactly how I felt these past years, so that was great. I hope our pandemic ends soon and we can have the kinds of reunion like the people of Oran had in the end. The fear that it'll come back stays though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Blood
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Having read The Stranger last year, I was excited to pick up my third writing by Camus. However, I can't say I loved this novel as much. I greatly appreciate the absurd optimism (if it can be called that) in comparison to the emptiness that the stranger made me feel. It's like yes! Life is meaningless and any understanding of stability in your life is fragile. But hey, it's not so bad when people can love and suffer together.
I thought that his writing was very beautiful in some parts of this, and the descriptions of emotional distancing, degeneration, and plague that the citizens experienced is eerily similar to very real experiences of the pandemic. In fact, many of his descriptions were frighteningly specific and made me tear up. Most of the characters I was not very connected to which turns me off. But alas, this is Albert Camus. It is not about connection, it's about philosophy, damn it!
I thought that his writing was very beautiful in some parts of this, and the descriptions of emotional distancing, degeneration, and plague that the citizens experienced is eerily similar to very real experiences of the pandemic. In fact, many of his descriptions were frighteningly specific and made me tear up. Most of the characters I was not very connected to which turns me off. But alas, this is Albert Camus. It is not about connection, it's about philosophy, damn it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reading The Plague in the midst of a pandemic is an odd experience. It’s hard to say whether it makes the story more impactful or less. The idea of a city going into lockdown isn’t particularly shocking to me now, but, at the same time, I can appreciate the accuracy of the depiction in a way I wouldn’t have been able to previously.
At the heart of the story is Camus’s absurdist philosophy. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say it has genuinely changed my life. I’ve often struggled with hopelessness and pessimism, so the insistence on fighting losing battles – on knowing you can’t fix the world but doing the best you can regardless – was something I took to heart. This philosophy most obviously manifests in the actions and beliefs of the protagonists (“Your victories will always be temporary, that’s all.” [...] “Always, I know that. But that is not a reason to give up the struggle.”) but there’s also something to be said about the way it intertwines with other themes. Take language, for instance. There is initially some debate over whether or not the plague should be called a plague, the citizens of Oran struggle to verbalise their anguish when the city is quarantined, and Grand is stuck writing and rewriting the first line of his novel. Words are not enough to accurately describe the human experience, but we try to communicate with them anyway. The irony of this message being conveyed through a work of literature does not escape me.
Speaking of language, my copy of The Plague features a sub-par translation, and I’m going to attribute the clunky sentence structure and wonky grammar to overly-literal translation from French to English. Nevertheless, Camus’s skill as a writer shines through. Something I picked up on was the way he set the mood through careful pacing. The book starts off slow and meandering when discussing the banality of life in Oran before the plague, then pivots to quick, urgent clauses when the plague strikes. It’s masterful.
There are some aspects of the book which deserve criticism (for example, women exist only in their relationships to men) but there’s also so much to love. I think this is the best novel I’ve ever read? I will definitely be checking out the rest of Camus’s work.
Hats off, gentlemen!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Grief
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Colonisation
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
(Read in French) An important book to read. The experience of reading it during a pandemic was special : it is incredible how Camus was able to pinpoint the human psyche and it allowed for real-life comparisons.
From what I read, this book is also a metaphor for WWII, and some passages are all the more poignant when you keep this in mind. Very interesting and thought-provoking book that I would recommend, especially if you have the opportunity to read it in French since Camus' writing is exquisite.
A regrettable lack of female protagonists is notable, however.
From what I read, this book is also a metaphor for WWII, and some passages are all the more poignant when you keep this in mind. Very interesting and thought-provoking book that I would recommend, especially if you have the opportunity to read it in French since Camus' writing is exquisite.
A regrettable lack of female protagonists is notable, however.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt