Sep 301 min read

L'Étranger ✒️

Who's the real Stranger? -

Salut à tou.te.s,

« L’Étranger » d’Albert Camus est un des livres les plus lus dans le monde pour apprendre le français. Avec un style simple et épuré, dans l’Algérie des années 1940, il explore la condition humaine à travers le personnage principal, Meursault, détaché des normes sociales. Ce récit, où se mélangent littérature, sociologie et philosophie, a été adapté plus tard au cinéma et en bande dessinée.

“The Stranger” by Albert Camus is one of the most widely read books in the world to learn French. With a simple and refined style, in Algeria in the 1940s, it explores the human condition through the main character, Meursault, detached from social norms. This story, which mixes literature, sociology and philosophy, was later adapted for cinema and graphic novel.

Related episode: Le Petit Prince

Questions:

Have you ever traveled to Algeria or North Africa?
What other books are interesting and useful for learning French?
Have you read “The Stranger” by Albert Camus? Or “Meursault, counter-investigation” by Kamel Daoud?
What do you think of the philosophy of the absurd?
What are the current relations between Algeria and France?

Preparation:

watch this week's episode about "L'Étranger": https://youtu.be/RxRyeOlHGYw (Subtitles are available in French and English by clicking on the CC button on the YouTube control bar).
(optional) watch Luchino Visconti's adaptation "Lo Straniero" with Marcello Mastroianni: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ3KQe9BEko or in English https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQN76Vv-nVw
(optional) read Albert Camus' "LÉtranger": https://amzn.to/3ZIxt7t
prepare one or two questions