L' Etranger

In this novel (1942), Camus tells the story of Meursault, who shoots an Arab on the beach. "It was because of the sun," Meursault explains his act in the courtroom. The philosophical question of the meaning of human existence, which Camus found to be absurd, was at the center of his thinking and literary work. For Camus, the absurdity of human existence—given the inevitability of death—lies in the contradiction between the apparent meaninglessness of life and the endeavor to find meaning within it. He presents this contradiction in his 1942 novel "L'Étranger" (The Stranger). Along with Sartre, Camus is considered a founder of aesthetic existentialism. His works have significantly shaped the philosophy and literature of the 20th century. Unabridged and unedited text edition in the original language, with translation.