Albert Camus Quotes from The Stranger, born November 7, 1913, in Mondovi, Algeria, and died January 4, 1960, was a French philosopher and novelist whose novel The Stranger (1942) is a cornerstone of absurdist literature. Published as L’Étranger in French, it follows Meursault, a detached Algerian clerk who navigates life with indifference, culminating in a murder and trial that expose the absurdity of societal norms. The novel’s stark prose and existential themes probe the human condition and the search for meaning. These 15 quotes, sourced directly from The Stranger (using the Stuart Gilbert translation, 1946, and Matthew Ward translation, 1988, where noted), reflect Camus’ insights on alienation, freedom, and the absurd, capturing Meursault’s hauntingly detached voice.
15 Albert Camus Quotes from The Stranger
- “Mother died today. Or, maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure.” (The Stranger, 1942, Gilbert translation)
- “I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate.” (The Stranger, 1942, Gilbert translation)
- “Since we’re all going to die, it’s obvious that when and how don’t matter.” (The Stranger, 1942, Gilbert translation)
- “I had been right, I was still right, I was always right. I had lived my life one way and I could just as well have lived it another.” (The Stranger, 1942, Gilbert translation)
- “Nothing, nothing mattered, and I knew why. So did he.” (The Stranger, 1942, Gilbert translation)
- “I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world.” (The Stranger, 1942, Ward translation)
- “I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again. For everything to be consummated, for me to feel less alone, I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution.” (The Stranger, 1942, Ward translation)
- “There is not love of life without despair about life.” (The Stranger, 1942, Gilbert translation)
- “I explained to him, however, that my nature was such that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings.” (The Stranger, 1942, Gilbert translation)
- “I may not have been sure about what really did interest me, but I was absolutely sure about what didn’t.” (The Stranger, 1942, Ward translation)
- “I looked up at the mass of signs and stars in the night sky and laid myself open for the first time to the benign indifference of the world.” (The Stranger, 1942, Ward translation)
- “The truth is I never was a real smoker. I did it more or less just to pass the time.” (The Stranger, 1942, Gilbert translation)
- “After a while you could get used to anything.” (The Stranger, 1942, Gilbert translation)
- “I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me.” (The Stranger, 1942, Ward translation)
- “For the first time in a long time I thought about Maman. I felt as if I understood why at the end of her life she had taken a ‘fiancé,’ why she had played at beginning again.” (The Stranger, 1942, Ward translation)
Albert Camus’ quotes from The Stranger are a chilling blend of existential detachment, raw honesty, and quiet rebellion, urging readers to confront life’s absurdity with unflinching clarity. Which one’s got you pondering your own place in an indifferent world? Drop it in the comments and keep his literary legacy alive!
Emma Thompson
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