My comments somewhat echo @CBBBlinker’s. I didn’t like The Stranger all that much, though I was glad to finally read it. So I started The Meursault Investigation,, didn’t like that either–and then checked in here and learned the very sad and shocking news about NJTM. I will really miss her comments. While I felt I should finish The Meursault Investigation, in her honor somehow, on the other hand I felt like time was suddenly short and I shouldn’t spend it reading something that didn’t interest me. So I never finished. But I did read all the discussion, so I thank everyone else for participating, and as always, enhancing my reading experience (and in this case, making the books more likeable).
I studied a lot of Russian history in college (ages ago), so I was going to vote for A Gentleman in Moscow; once again, Mary has selected my choice before I got around to voting.
@buenavista, when I finished The Meursault Investigation, my first thought was, “I’m glad I only spent $1.99 on this” (yay BookBub). I’m happy I read it–for one thing, it broadened my understanding of the historical context of The Stranger–but it’s a book that I know I will never go back to. I’m looking forward to reading A Gentleman in Moscow as a complete change of pace (and, I think, a good summer read).
Ooh, I am glad A Gentleman in Moscow was chosen. It’s a good sign that those here who have already read it are happy with the choice.
Some final thoughts on The Stranger– I am glad I re-read it and we discussed it here. I agree with Camus that the best way to push through life is to try to do good. There is obviously more to depression and apathy than existential angst, but part of the “cure” seems to be finding purpose outside of ourselves.
I was reading that Camus died in a random way-- he was supposed to take a train, but instead rode in a car driven by a friend, and they both died in a crash. In his pocket was a train ticket. Life really is absurd.
Mary, I’m reading *The Lost City of Z * which is about exploring the Amazon jungle. I am trying to figure out why someone would voluntarily want to do such a thing!!
I forgot to add: Happy Wedding Day to ignatius and family! I hope you’ll post a report for us.
I’m hearing Colson Whitehead at the American Library Association conference in a couple of weeks, so I’m going to listen to Underground Railroad on audio again first. Also speaking is Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, so that’s on my immediate reading list, too. Ron Chernow will also be there, so maybe I’ll have time to get through a chapter or two of his Hamilton biography.
Reporting back because I finished The Fall, which does indeed making interesting reading along with the two books we read. Spoiler alert!
The narrator starts off talking to an unnamed person in a bar - telling his life story and his guilt about not having tried to save a woman who fell off a bridge. From the way he describes the incident, I think it’s unlikely he could have done much, but the fact (?) is that he didn’t try. Since then his life as fallen apart and he now calls himself a judge-penitent. He goes around confessing his sins with the goal of making others realize they are all sinners just like him.
Toward the end he says this:
And then a bit later, he’s talking about a just punishment for his various crimes:
^ many similarities with The Stranger. Loss of freedom, arrest, lying judgement, death, not being afraid, and the focus of the “judgement of the gathered crowd, onlookers”.
I’m glad I read “the stranger” an iconic, important novel. I admit, I quickly skimmed “the Mersault investigation” so I couldn’t contribute to that conversation, and appreciate the book pairing.
My next book is “lilli de Jong” by Janet Benton about Philadelphia at the turn of the century. We live an hour from Philly and my mother’s family lived there during those years.
Hope @iignatius had a memorable wedding!
Very happy to see all the interest generated with the next book selection “A Gentleman in Moscow”
Happy summer days to all !
I am reading The Goldfinch. I started it ages ago but it got stuck in one of my rare reading slumps through no fault of its own. I always meant to go back to it and now I have. Unfortunately, I’m having to start from the beginning due to the long time lapse.
I’m also somewhat reluctantly reading two real-life book club choices:
The Two-Family House - I don’t dislike it but neither do I like it. Think soap-opera material.
Glory Over Everything - I haven’t started this one (sequel to The Kitchen House) yet. I may end up really liking it. I also reluctantly approached Grissom’s The Kitchen House - a book club choice a few years ago. But once I started, I finished in two days - and liked it. Maybe that will happen again.
For what it’s worth, my book club that chose Glory Over Everything picks two books each time. You can read both or chose whichever one interests you. The other book this time around: A Gentleman in Moscow - I’ll be discussing it the end of this month. I do plan to read it again for you guys.
It’s interesting that so many found The Meursault Investigation such a trying read - the reviews were, I think, universally positive!
Anyway, once again, I for one am happy to have had this group get me reading books, I would have found all too easy to put down if I had been reading them on my own.
Looking forward to a total enjoyment novel next though!
@mathmom, thanks for your summary of The Fall. You’ve performed a valuable service, because now I don’t have to read it :). I would say that The Meursault Investigation borrowed some thematic elements in addition to the obvious structural ones.
You’re right that The Meursault Investigation received excellent reviews. And although I have come to appreciate Daoud’s expertise as a writer and his intricate knowledge of Camus, that just wasn’t enough. Each time I picked up the book, I looked forward to finishing it, not to reading it. Clearly not the right novel for me.
Maybe it’s because it felt like all Harun, all the time. One of the things I liked about The Stranger was Camus’ ability to create (through Meursault) vivid and memorable secondary characters – Monsieur Perez, Salamano, Marie, the judge, etc.
Hi everyone! better late than never, right? I finished “The Meursault Investigation” about a week ago, but then had to immediately jump into reading “A Man Called Ove” for my RL Book Club meeting 2 days ago. (I loved this latter book, by the way.)
I had read “The Stranger” in French about a million years ago, and have to say I hardly remembered any of it. I liked it well enough. “The Meursault Investigation,” though was another story – didn’t care for it at all. Too confusing and hard to follow. It probably didn’t help that I ended up reading it in snippets, frequently walking away from it since I disliked it so much.
I’ve skimmed all the posts here … Didn’t understand at all that the ghost in the bar is supposed to be Camus?!? I’m sure there’s quite a lot I didn’t"get," actually – and I have to say it doesn’t bother me in the least!
See you all August 1. Our D’s wedding is September 23, but at the moment things seems to be pretty well under control.
@Zinhead I had a feeling it must be in here somewhere - this group is always very thorough! But since you can’t tell from the link titles what you are going to get, I can’t really blame google.
@mathmom, it was The Cure. I liked the comment beneath the video (posted by @Zinhead): “If existentialism had a soundtrack, it would be minimalist post-punk.”
(The video of “Killing an Arab” in post 8 has footage from the film with Marcello Mastroianni.)
@Mary13 & @ignatius I haven’t seen the movie, but a couple others in my Book Club have. The consensus from them was the movie wasn’t as good as the book (almost always the case, IMO) but they still enjoyed it. I’ll watch it if I find it.
