The Outsider (Bridge Bilingual Classics) (English-Chinese Bilingual Edition) (Chinese Edition)

The Stranger or The Outsider (L' Étranger) is a novel by Albert Camus, published in 1942. Its theme and outlook are often cited as examples of existentialism, though Camus did not consider himself an existentialist; in fact, its content explores various philosophical schools of thought, including (most prominently and specifically) absurdism, as well as determinism, nihilism, naturalism, and stoicism.

The title character is Meursault, an Algerian who seemingly irrationally kills an Arab man whom he recognizes in French Algiers. The story is divided into two parts: Meursault's first-person narrative views before and after the murder, respectively.

作为存在主义文学的代表作品，《局外人》形象地体现了存在主义哲学关于“荒谬”的观念：由于人和世界的分离，世界对于人来说是荒诞的、毫无意义的，而人对荒诞的世界无能为力，因此不抱任何希望，对一切事物都无动于衷。全书分为两个部分，第一部分从莫尔索的母亲去世开始，到他在海滩上杀死阿拉伯人为止，是按时间顺序叙述的故事。在第二部分里，牢房代替了大海，社会的意识代替了莫尔索自发的意识。该书以一种客观记录式的“零度风格”，粗线条地描述了主人公莫尔索在荒谬的世界中经历的种种荒谬的事，以及自身的荒诞体验。加缪以同情的笔调赞扬莫尔索蔑视宗教、蔑视死亡的傲然态度。这种反抗虽然是消极的，然而它深刻地反映了二次大战爆发后西方社会中蔓延的对世界感到不安和绝望的心理，因此具有一定的现实意义。