L'etranger (The Stranger) on 3 CDs

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L'etranger (The Stranger) on 3 CDs. The original 1954 recording of Camus reading his masterpiece for French radio. Three CDs plus liner notes.

In June 1942, a short novel called L'etranger was published. The author was an unknown of only 28 years who was going to modify not only the history of French literature, but also that of 20th century philosophy with his theory of the absurdity of human destiny. On the 7th, 8th, and 9th of April, 1954, Albert Camus recorded the entire text for French radio. He received the Nobel prize 3 years later.

Note from site administrator: What makes this book so incredible to me is the different layers within. On top, it's a stark 1st-person description of events leading up to a crime, with a first half that reads like Hemingway and a second half that changes tone. Below, it's a dazzling work of art, an introspection into the meaning of life. I'll never forget reading the first paragraph back in college. Re-reading it again recently while listening to this historic recording was a great pleasure. Another pleasant surprise was the excellent sound quality and the quality of the reading. The sound is perfect and Camus has a clear voice and gives a great reading. (I learned from the liner notes that he had made a living, for a while, as a radio actor - this training comes through on the recording.)

The booklet is 10 pages plus a 3-page chronology of Camus's life. The text is written by Roger Grenier who worked with Camus at the underground newspaper Combat during World War II. It covers the birth of The Stranger, a brief synopsis, literary reactions (including that of Sartre), and the meaning of the story. Mr. Grenier hints that Camus was copying the style of Hemingway and Steinbeck, but Camus himself denied this.

Please note that there is no English on the CDs. We also sell the paperback Etranger in French (again, French version published for the French market and imported by us.)