The Plague
6. Albert Camus, The Plague (trans. Stuart Gilbert)
The small town of Oran on the Algerian coast is, at first glance, a perfectly ordinary commercial port. However, strange events soon begin to occur. First, the town’s rats begin coming into the open in large numbers, dying in stairwells and even in the streets. Then come the first signs of illness, as a few townspeople experience bad fevers and swollen lymph nodes. Finally, the deaths begin, and Dr. Bernard Rieux becomes convinced that the sickness is one of the most feared and fatal diseases in history: the plague. The city attempts some preventive measures, but the plague inexorably claims more and more lives, and the people of Oran must eventually grapple with the ultimate questions.
This is a rather strange novel, because not much happens in terms of plot, but there are also very few characters. Camus is not so much telling a story as he is meditating on the mystery and meaning of human suffering. I was very interested in the philosophical and religious speculation, and I was fascinated by one character’s use of the word “plague” as a metaphor for something inherently flawed in the human condition. I’d recommend this book for people interested in the philosophy and psychology of suffering; however, if you’re looking for an exciting story or compelling characters, it’s probably not the book for you.