The Free-Range Bookclub
Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
The Plague – Albert Camus
READ FOR BOOKCLUB
Chosen by Rachel
The story of an Algerian city swept by a plague. It raises questions relating to destiny and human psychology.
♥ “A gripping tale of survival and resilience, and of the ways in which humankind confronts death, The Plague is set in Oran, a coastal town in North Africa. The plague begins as a series of portents, unheeded by the people, and gradually becomes an omnipresent reality, obliterating all traces of the past and driving its victims to extremes of suffering.
“A masterfully crafted novel, epic in scope, it is a parable of ageless moral resonance, profoundly relevant to our times, warning us that when one plague is beaten another raises its ugly head.
“The book works on the literal as well as metaphorical level – it is generally agreed amongst academics that the pestilence Camus describes signifies the Third Reich and the Nazi occupation of France. This fascist ‘plague’ may have gone, but other varieties of pestilence keep this book urgently relevant.”
Each of us has the plague within him; no one, no one on earth is free from it. And I know, too, that we must keep endless watch on ourselves lest in a careless moment we breath in someone’s face and fasten the infection on him. What’s natural is the microbe. All the rest – health, integrity, purity (if you like) – is a product of the human will, of a vigilance that must never falter.
♥ “This book’s references to war and plagues of all kinds were significant, as was the author’s dissection of the human condition. There is so much that can be taken from this novel’s warnings. It was a bleak story with no hope of redemption, and I had to ensure I did not let that overshadow the story’s importance. I’m so pleased to have read this masterpiece.” – Rachel
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Published 1947
Alfred A Knopf
304 pages
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