📚 Banned Book Spotlight: The Stranger by Albert Camus

About the Author

Albert Camus was a French-Algerian philosopher, novelist, and journalist known for his writings on existentialism and absurdism. His works explore life’s deepest questions—meaning, morality, and the human struggle in an indifferent universe. Camus received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957 for illuminating “the problems of the human conscience in our times.”

Story in Brief

The Stranger follows Meursault, a detached and emotionally indifferent man living in French-colonized Algeria. When his mother dies, he seems unaffected—a reaction that unsettles those around him. Later, after a senseless act of violence leads him to commit murder, Meursault’s lack of remorse becomes the true “crime” in the eyes of society. The novel explores the absurdity of life, the isolation of the human condition, and the tension between social expectation and individual authenticity.

Challenges / Bans

Since its publication in 1942, The Stranger has faced repeated bans and challenges around the world.

1950s–1970s (U.S.): Removed from school reading lists for its “immoral” content, atheistic themes, and perceived justification of murder.

1976 (South Africa): Banned under apartheid for its criticism of colonialism and portrayal of moral ambiguity.

Modern Challenges: Continues to be questioned in some schools for nihilistic ideas, depictions of violence, and challenges to religious belief.

While not officially banned in recent U.S. cases, the book remains one of the most frequently challenged existential works in literature.

Why It’s Still Important

The Stranger forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths about meaning, justice, and what it means to be human. Its ban history reflects society’s fear of ideas that question conformity and faith. Reading it isn’t just engaging with a story—it’s engaging with a philosophy that asks, “What if life has no meaning beyond the one we create?”