The Modern Classics Plague (Penguin Modern Classics)

It was refreshing and enlightening to read 'The Plague' by Albert Camus at this time in my life. I first read it as a part of a study on Atheism. I then read it again, along with other works by Camus, in the context of pursuing an understanding of existentialism. This was more than fifty years ago, when I was in my early twenties. I'm aware that Camus, like his friend Sartre, rejected the "existentialism" label. But Camus always held my fascination because his works resonate with my struggles to understand my faith. His narrative style invites introspection ánd automatically inserts me into the minds of his characters and their interactions with others and their environment. The remarkable thing is the nonintrusive manner in which he does this. He is both an objective participant and a detached observer. There is no attempt to persuade his readers to side with any ideology. The ideas just flow unfiltered from his characters without editorial comment. In fact, he admits near the end of his novel that he intentionally adopted this style in order to be impartial. I appreciate this because it allowed me much space and time to ponder, without pressure, on issues raised by his narrative. Another motivation for a repeat reading, is the recent cov19. I was interested in the similarity in the method and policy reflected in how the authorities of two widely different generations handled their pandemic. It was also interesting to note the similarities in the reactions to quarantining among the people of different eras. Throughout this novel, as implicit in his other works, Camus echoes a theme of Fydor Dostoevsky:"Without God all things are lawful"(The Brothers Karamazov). Camus metaphorically transforms the plague into a forum for a friendly grappling with unbelief versus belief. It is a peaceful dialogue among friends who realize it would be disastrous if they do not unite around common values and a goal to defeat their common enemy, the plague. They recognize that without God, without morals or standards, they cannot be saints. In that case, they should "strive their utmost to be healers". This is not a romantic novel, yet it has all the pathos of one:love, friendships, loyalty, loneliness,feelings of betrayal, sadness at the loss of a loved one. And casting a dark shadow over all was the certain spectre of a horrible death. I am so happy that I reread 'The Plague'. The feeling was more than deja vu, because it brought to light several insights that escaped my youthful attention:the extensive use of 'plague' as a metaphor, especially in the last chapter. I also found that death is a theme that interested me more so at my age than in my youth. I do not mean death in the morbid sense. This time around I was inspired to reflect more on death as my focal point in life and connect it to 'hope' with capital 'h'. I mean 'hope' in a way that Jürgen Moltmann defines it as "creative expectations ". It is a hope that drives "meaningful actions" to transform ourselves and our present world to a better state. When death is seen in this light, the full force of Camus' use of the language and experience of death comes to light. In the final chapter of 'The Plague' ĥe gives us his finest piece of writing. Here he employs with great intensity the metaphorical and literal sense of 'death' to encapsulate the devastating and absurd crises of life. Reading 'The Plague' was for me a profound summation of the vicissitudes of life and the hard lessons it teaches. This time around I got more out of it than before.

Reading The Plague as an oncologist is like looking into a cracked mirror: distorted, but close enough to sting. Camus sets his story during a fictional epidemic in Oran, but the deeper current running through the novel is one I recognize all too well—the daily, grinding work of facing suffering that can’t always be cured. Dr. Rieux isn’t a hero. He doesn’t want to be one. “However, there’s one thing I must tell you: there’s no question of heroism in all this. It’s a matter of common decency.” That line struck me hard. Medicine, especially in the face of incurable illness, often isn’t about miracles—it’s about showing up. Doing your job. Bearing witness. It’s what Camus calls common decency. And in a profession where outcomes are uncertain and victories are fleeting, that might be the most honest form of care there is. There’s a moment in the novel that felt almost diagnostic: “For the moment I know this; there are sick people and they need curing… what’s wanted now is to make them well.” That’s how it is in the thick of it—clarity cuts through the noise. Reflection can wait. There are patients in front of you. When someone tells Rieux his efforts won’t last, he simply answers: “Yes, I know that. But it’s no reason for giving up the struggle.” That’s the ethic. Not triumph, but persistence. The Plague doesn’t uplift so much as it endures. It’s not always a pleasant read—repetitive, bleak, occasionally philosophical to a fault—but it’s honest. And maybe that’s why it matters. Because in the end, this is what we learn in a time of pestilence: that there are more things to admire in men than to despise.

A must-read if you want to understand the post-WWII attitude of the French, especially someone like Camus who wrote from the perspective of being born in French Colonial Africa—a history that the former colonial power couldn’t sustain. One of the most influential books I’ve ever read.

Camus' story is older than WWII, and it is timely for 2020 America. The plague that closed a North African metropolis in this fiction was carried by rats, and was ended by cold weather. While covid-19 behaves differently, people living through the current plague may see their situations and feelings reflected in Camus' story. Then and now, these range from hope and impatience at lockdowns, to loneliness, anxiety, and a need to live life fully right now - despite the dangers of crowding into bars and events, and being intimate with people, when anyone could be infected. Camus develops a range characters - dedicated doctors and volunteers, sick people and their family members, unemployed who become essential workers, a con artist who thrives on the chaos, an official who grows a heart when his son dies, a preacher who decides to embrace horrors to keep his faith, friends exulting in the release of a forbidden swim at sea, ...and lovers struggling to keep love alive when life demands hard hearts or enforced distance. Parallel to the plague, then and now, runs the threat of facism. Camus resists preaching politics openly, but the allegory is powerful, in the characters and their struggles, and in the disease fought like a war. The novel concludes with celebrations that the plague has ended, reunions of lucky lovers, and a caution. For the deadly germs can lie in hiding, for years, only to rise again. Did we think facism was defeated in 1945? Are new strains alive in 2020? The Plague by Camus does not have the answers, but it has some wisdom to help us better navigate the present and the future.

This is a classic and a must-read for everyone. However, do not buy this translation. It is truly terrible and should not even have been for sale.

The Plague is Camus’s philosophy come to life with a colorful cast of characters and an engaging literary style. Camus deftly weaves multiple character arcs and subplots together to highlight absurdist thought in a more engaging way than in the Myth of Sisyphus. You can almost smell the plague in the air, feel the terrified stares of everyone around, see the newspapers cheerily masking the death toll. The conflict starts early and tension is maintained so well this book scarcely feels longer than a pamphlet. I’d elaborate more but my reviews often don’t do justice when work is excellent.

It certainly was topical. I found the characters hard to delineate. (Take notes.) It was, I thought, rather in the style of Hawthorne - surprising for such a recent book. If you're not sick (ha) of plague and stories of plague, it's pretty interesting.

This book was chosen by my book club . I found the beginning slow and may not have finished were it not for book club. It describes the way different people respond to a plague and one can see these responses among people around us now. Written as an allegory about the rise of the Nazis in Europe it also has parallels to the current political situation in the U.S. This book was written in 1947 and is set it what was at that time French Algeria. what I k Liked best input this book is that it provides a perspective or a number of perspectives and provides a great deal to think about.

Great book, and very up to date and many thoughts to think about. It gives One much to think about.

One of best Camus novel .everyone should read this novel once

Esta novela no es solo un alegoría sobre la guerra o la maldad humana, sino también sobre la integridad de aquellos que evitan hacer daño a los demás, porque a veces luchar por tus ideas puede convertirte en lo que no deseas, lo difícil es vivir según tus ideas y respetar al resto. La historia te atrapa, la lectura, pese a su profundidad, es sencilla, hay reflexiones magníficas y la humanidad de los protagonistas te conquista. Una joya.

Greate book, good quality. Font is a bit on the smaller side, but the spacing inbetween sentences improves readability. However this copy is half the price of other editions so if you want to get into Albert Camus and don't mind the font, I would recommend.

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