Albert Camus: "The Stranger" and "The Plague"

I had only heard of Albert Camus in the last year or so and since then I have read two of his greatest works: The Stranger and The Plague. 

My reasons for reading Camus in the first place was because I heard that he was from Algeria. Being half Algerian myself, I've always felt a connection to the country and it's painful history (colonised by France for 132 years, followed by a bloody war of independence, and then a civil war lasting 11 years). Because of this, I was incredibly eager to read Camus in an attempt to maybe understand my culture a little better. Unfortunately, what I didn't realise was that Camus was born and raised in Algeria to French parents (these individuals were known as pieds noirs). He wasn't Arab or Maghrebi, and his portrayal of Algeria was very much from a French, middle class point of view.

Knowing this therefore made it easier to recognise his biases, baring in mind that both The Stranger and The Plague were published in the 1940's when Algeria was still under French rule. A majority of his characters are not Arab, they are either French or Spanish or Jewish and all of these characters are named. When he does include Arab characters they are usually referred to as 'The Arab'. This is particularly noticeable in The Stranger. I initially thought this to be very strange because it was almost as if these Arab characters were being marginalised. But I soon realised that Camus did not necessarily intend to do this and I began reading the novels in the context in which they were written in. And so even though I was a little disappointed with not being able to learn more about the history of Algeria that I was familiar with, I learned a lot about pied noir Algeria. Essentially, Camus provided me with a different perspective on the story I thought I knew.

After sounding like a disappointed fuss pot, I have to admit that I did really enjoy both books. Camus does a great job of describing the setting and developing his characters, I mean he didn't win the Nobel prize for literature for nothing you know. He uses concepts such as absurdism and existentialism to inject his narratives with a unique flavour, and I found his story telling persuasive and compelling.

                             

Books, books, books

Libraries have always been important to me. They were my favourite place to be when I was growing up. The rows and rows of books, the wonderful silence, the comfy reading chairs; my home away from home. Having a library card was always a necessity and I never left home without it. I know it may sound cheesy but I always feel safe and comforted in a library, regardless of where it was and if I'd been there before. 

When I was searching for universities in the UK, one of the most important factors for me was the university library. During the campus tours I always made sure that I visited the library to see how big it was, what sort of books they had, and how comfortable the chairs looked. I think it's pretty ironic then that the university I finally chose (Amsterdam University College) doesn't have a library of its own. But I soon learned that borrowing books from my friends was the next best thing! Not only is it free, but you can also always discuss the book with your friend afterwards. That has to be one of the best things about borrowing books from people you know. 

When I moved to the Netherlands, almost three years ago, one of the first things I did was visit my local library to try and get a library card. I soon realised, however, that library cards aren't free here and so I didn't get one...But yesterday, that all changed. I finally got my hands on a library card. For some reason the Dutch government offered me a free library subscription for a year, and of course I wasn't going to pass that up! Getting my card and looking though the books in the English section reminded me of how much I had missed being in that kind of environment. Being able to go to a library and peruse the shelves at leisure, without having to read a book in one go or in installments because I can't borrow them, has to be one of the best feelings ever! I can't wait to get a lot of use out of my new library card this year, because as everyone knows: having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card!

The New York Trilogy

I have an eclectic taste in literature. Maybe you've guessed that already. There's not much I wouldn't read; from dystopian novels to fantasy fiction, from young adult to classics. I also really love to sink my teeth into a brilliant detective novel.

I have always been a fan of crime fiction. I enjoy the process of reading such novels; attempting to solve the crimes, thinking about each character's motive and alibi, being swept up in the fast paced narrative. Paul Auster's The New York Trilogy was a little different though. The book is comprised of three mini novellas which are all interconnected in some way. They are often referred to as 'modern detective stories' because they deal with absurdest and existentialist themes.  Primarily, they focus on the subject of identity, and essentially they are post modern detective stories. All that sounds rather pretentious to me; how can a detective story be post modern, and why does anything that has to do with identity sound so 'frou frou'? But putting all my preconceived judgements aside, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the book.

Initially though, I was a bit disappointed. Auster's name has been familar to me for some time now and so I was super eager to read one of his book. Plus, The New York Trilogy promised danger and excitement and, in my eyes, (because it's a detective story) murder. The only thing I was wrong about was the murder bit because no one gets bumped off. But the danger and excitement was definitely present. That and the fact that it was very different from what I expected, made the novel more interesting than I thought it was going to be.

My favourite story of the three was The Locked Room because I felt like it was the most dramatic and the most fast paced. This story came last in the trilogy and I think it was the defining factor concerning Auster and whether or not I'd read more by him. The answer is yes, partly because enjoyed the writing style and the nuances of a post modern detective story (the more I write it, the more pretentious it sounds!), and partly because I want to see if he kills off anyone in any of his other books...