Long. Tedious.

These two words seem to sum up the experience of many people when it comes to certain tasks or activities.

Long can refer to the duration of time something takes, whether it's a long meeting, a long commute, or a long project. It can feel like time is dragging on and on, and there's no end in sight.

Tedious, on the other hand, describes something that is dull, boring, and repetitive. It can make you feel like you're going through the motions without any real purpose or enjoyment.

Whether it's a long and tedious job, a long and tedious lecture, or a long and tedious journey, these experiences can be draining and demotivating. However, it's important to remember that there are ways to make the most of these situations.

You can try to break the task or activity into smaller, more manageable parts, or find ways to make it more interesting and engaging. You can also take breaks and give yourself time to recharge and refocus.

By approaching long and tedious situations with a positive attitude and a willingness to find solutions, you can turn them into opportunities for growth and learning.

The Plague - A Story of Pestilence along with The Stranger, Albert Camus was proudly awarded the Nobel Prize.

The Plague is a story of a city named Oran that is somehow under attack by rats, and the rats die one after another, bringing an unknown disease to the city that involves the whole city and its people.

The Plague somehow inflicts pain on humans, and shows how a problem, a pain, a common suffering can change the lifestyle and perspective of people, perhaps a permanent change.

The book has several fixed characters, but I couldn't establish a connection with any of the characters in the story. Even the plot of the story had no appeal for me, and I only liked the philosophical part of the book. Although this is a personal and subjective opinion.

In many places, the book was tiring for me. In my opinion, Camus could have said his words in half of the book and not put the plot of the book into a cycle of repetition. One of the reasons for the appeal of The Stranger, in addition to its special subject and attractive way of narration, was also its straightforwardness and lack of repetition.

Overall, reading it was good because The Plague could have a symbolic meaning and show us what has happened or is happening to a nation in pain. However, I didn't enjoy it much, and still in my opinion, if someone wants to read one of Camus' works, it's definitely better to choose The Stranger.

In my opinion, Reza Seyyed Hosseini's translation was better than the other translations.

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Memories of the book:

The easy way to get to know a city is for a person to know how the people there work, how they fall in love, and how they die.

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Perhaps today nothing is more natural than to see people working from morning till night to waste the rest of the time they have for living in gambling, cafes, and idleness.

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Due to the lack of time and thinking, a person is inevitably unaware that he loves his friend.

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And indeed, next to him, everything seemed easy and simple.

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War is really very absurd, but this fact does not prevent its continuation. Brutality persists and prevails, and if a person were not constantly thinking about himself, he would observe it.

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One should not stay in a four-walled room for a long time.

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A love that does not overcome itself is not love.

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Habitual despair of despair is worse.

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Nothing in the world leads to this that a person turns away from what he loves.

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In this city, there are hours when during them I have no other feeling but revolt.

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We are forced to choose one of two paths: either we blaspheme God or we love him, and who has the courage to choose blasphemy against God?

Albert Camus is a renowned and highly influential author. His work, The Plague, is truly a masterpiece. I read this book a long time ago, and its profound themes and engaging narrative have left a lasting impression on me.

The story of The Plague takes place in a town that is struck by a deadly epidemic. Through the experiences and perspectives of the various characters, Camus explores themes such as human nature, morality, and the meaning of life in the face of adversity. The book is not only a thrilling and suspenseful read but also a thought-provoking and deeply philosophical work.

I highly recommend The Plague to anyone who enjoys literature that challenges and inspires. It is a book that can be read and reread, each time revealing new insights and interpretations. I hope to revisit this brilliant work one day and continue to be amazed by Camus's literary genius. 5 stars!

3.5 stars

"

...that a loveless world is a dead world, and always there comes an hour when one is weary of prisons, of one’s work, and of devotion to duty, and all one craves for is a loved face, the warmth and wonder of a loving heart."

Well, this book about human resilience in the face of horror/sickness/plague was truly a significant piece of work for me. I found myself having to read and re-read numerous sections as it is not merely a regular book but rather a profound social, political, and philosophical commentary. I often found myself thinking, "huh? what did the narrator just say? What did he mean?" Additionally, there is the intriguing question regarding the identity of the narrator...one has to read to find out!

The book commences as a plague is sweeping through Oran, a coastal town in North Africa. First, the rats start dying, and then the humans follow suit. The town decides to quarantine itself by isolating it from the outside world. Many of the characters are thus cut off from those they love. The characters in this book span from Dr. Rieux to vacationers and fugitives. As the townspeople strive to survive, the book vividly shows us their remarkable resilience, their intense suffering, their deep compassion, their coming together, and their profound thoughts on love and life.

Whew! This was not a book that I could simply dig into and power read. It did require some time and effort as the book is incredibly deep and thought-provoking.

A few years ago, when I was a freshman in university, I read and reviewed "The Stranger" by Albert Camus. Back then, being an optimistic and impressionable young lad, the unyielding bleakness of the book left a rather unpleasant taste in my mouth. I was filled with eagerness and vigor for life, which stemmed from the newfound independence that higher education afforded me. I wanted nothing to do with the apathetic darkness that enshrouded Mersault and rejected any shred of wisdom the book presented. I even called it poison. You can still read that review as I have not omitted or changed anything. However, if I were to read it now, I am inclined to write a different opinion. That boy is long gone, and instead, here I am, a man who has resigned himself to the bitterness that he has since learned to appreciate.

Life has never tasted as bitter as it does currently. Tragedy has befallen us. A pandemic has struck the world, killing thousands, infecting millions, and testing the limits of modern civilization as we know it. "The Plague" by Albert Camus essentially explores this same concept, but on a smaller scale, with its scope confined to a coastal town called Oran.

The Bubonic Plague is brought into the unsuspecting town by hosts of infected rats, which literally fill the place with thousands of decaying rodent carcasses scattered throughout. From here, the silent but methodical hands of infection and illness begin to spread. Death starts to move around, leaving despair and grief in its wake. And finally, the town realizes the gravity of their alarming situation. Ironically, the response of Oran does not really differ from how modern governments reacted to the havoc of COVID-19. And, like doomed places, Oran was isolated, placed under quarantine, with everyone inside imprisoned indefinitely.

When you expose a group of individuals to a certain phenomenon, you can always expect varied reactions. No two individuals will produce exactly identical reactions to one stimulus, which, in this case, is the deadly plague. So, Camus presents us with five different individuals whom we follow throughout the period of containment.

Rambert, Tarrou, Paneloux, Rieux, and Cottard represent five different reactions to the plague that we examine. The journalist Rambert is an outsider visiting to write an article when the plague hits and the gates of the town close. Trapped inside, his only desire is to get out and escape by any means. The driving force behind his existence is a deep passion to reunite with his beloved wife. Next is the mysterious tourist Tarrou, who was vacationing when the panic starts. An objective outsider, his reaction to the plague is based on his philosophical views, placing value on human life and denouncing any form of support or allowance for the taking of it. He volunteers to create a response team because of his personal philosophy. Third is the Priest Paneloux. Initially, he delivers a scathing sermon blaming human sinfulness as the cause of this suffering, but slowly his views change from punishment, and he develops a more hopeful stance, gradually seeing the plague as a test of faith. Then we have Doctor Rieux, who is among the first to discover the presence of the plague. His raison d'être and his leadership in the medical response to the plague are rooted in a moral optimism. He fights the plague, treats people because he must; it is the only course of action for a human being. Finally, we have the entrepreneur Cottard, who proves to be an anomaly. Happiest when the plague is at its peak, he is an opportunist who takes advantage of the plague for his personal enrichment. Cottard wishes for the plague to last forever, and when it ends, he is beaten to death after failing to cope and being driven to insanity. Each represents a unique area of existence that drives their actions, from romantic, philosophical, spiritual, humanist, to economic. Camus allows us to observe these people, who have their centers based on the different points of existence, in order to give a holistic study of the human condition in troubled times like these.

"The Plague" by Albert Camus is an intelligent and deeply affecting portrayal of human integrity in the face of death. Camus reminds us that a plague does not consider race, sexuality, religion, politics, or wealth but only acknowledges one species trying not to become extinct. A faithful narrator asks us only to consider that we are human beings.

"I have no idea what's awaiting me, or what will happen when this all ends. For the moment I know this: there are sick people and they need curing."

COVID-19 is currently ravaging the world. I do not know where you are or what has already happened to you. But I do hope that in these troubled times, you are safe, that you have good health, and more importantly, that you feel the warmth of humanity, which has already done so much for each other.

We are getting through this.

Reading this book in 2023/4, it is simply impossible to overlook the striking similarities between the pandemic that Camus writes about and the Covid pandemic from which we have only recently emerged. Although diseases may vary in their nature, pandemics share many commonalities. This book is essentially about two fundamental aspects: death and love.

It commences like a horror story, with thousands of rats emerging from their hidden places and dying in agony, accompanied by gouts of blood. After weeks pass and most of the rats are dead, all seems to return to normal. The city relaxes and people breathe a sigh of relief. However, that is precisely when the killer strikes again, and this time it is the people who are dying like rats.

Once the city is quarantined from the outside world, the pace of the book slows down. It becomes more philosophical as the characters contemplate profound questions such as why God, if He exists, allows pestilence, mass death, and acute human suffering. Is love sufficient? Is love even possible in such a dire situation? Or is there nothing stronger than pain and death? Two of the main protagonists in the story, the priest and the doctor, frequently engage in debates on these matters while the doctor continues to strive to save as many people as possible from the clutches of the plague.

It is a slower-paced tale compared to, for example, The Outsider/The Stranger. This is because The Plague is longer and poses many more questions. It is specifically targeted at the reader who is in a more reflective state of mind and is willing to dwell for a while on some of the most crucial dilemmas of human existence.

Nevertheless, all of this is presented within an engaging story and a plethora of fascinating characters who have their own struggles and undergo significant changes as the Black Death continues to claim thousands of lives.

Camus's writing is both powerful and yet delicate and intricate, making this book a truly remarkable and thought-provoking read.

Tedious.

This word accurately describes my current state of mind. I find myself in a situation where I am presented with something that is so dreadfully boring that I can't help but think, "I think I'd rather have the plague than read this again."

The thought of going through that same text one more time is简直难以忍受. It's as if my mind is rebelling against the idea, and I can feel my eyes glazing over just at the mention of it.

I long for something more engaging, something that will capture my attention and hold it firmly. Something that will make me forget about the tedium and transport me to a world of excitement and interest.

Alas, for now, I am stuck with this tiresome task, and I can only hope that it will soon come to an end.

The Plague, penned by Albert Camus in 1948, is a fictional account of the city of Oran in Algeria that was struck by the bubonic plague. This work has long been regarded as a literary masterpiece of the twentieth century. But perhaps reading it in the midst of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic isn't the best idea. Just like in the epidemics of the bubonic plague, it begins with the exponential increase in the death of rats, soon followed by human fatalities. The story of how this community becomes aware of the gravity of their situation and what they do is captivating. They start by completely isolating their community from the rest of society. The narrator of this harrowing chronicle is Dr. Bernard Rieux. The essence of the story lies in the reaction of the people of Oran as they each come to terms with their reality in their own way. There are many interesting and vivid characters as we observe how they attempt to cope. What stood out to me were all the conflicting emotions witnessed in each person in Oran as they strive to endure their fate.

It should be noted that in 1957, Camus was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. I was deeply engaged by the stark yet expressive writing of Camus. While this book has been compared to an allegory of the German occupation of Europe, and I could clearly see the parallels, I don't plan to read it again to explore that premise. Stay safe everyone and take care.

"For our fellow citizens that summer sky and the streets thick in dust, gray as their present lives, had the same ominous import as the hundred deaths now weighing daily on the town. That incessant sunlight and those bright hours associated with siesta or with no holidays no longer invited, as in the past, to frolics and flirtation on the beaches. Now they rang hollow in the silence of the closed town, they had lost the golden spell of happier summers. Plague had killed the colors, vetoed pleasure."

The Plague is truly one of my all-time favorite novels of 2019. It has left my head in a whirlwind of ideas, as the story and the writing are both of outstanding quality.

I was particularly charmed by the fact that the stranded opera company continued to perform Orpheus and Eurydice. It was just perfect!

There's really not much more I can say about this remarkable novel without resorting to trite nonsense. Thankfully, there are already many excellent reviews out there.

Although I've read L’étranger/The Outsider in both French and English, I had forgotten just how brilliant an author Albert Camus is until now. I do have the French edition of The Plague, La Peste, sitting on my bookshelves at home, and I think I might just have to pick it up and read it.

And of course, I listened to Orfeo ed Euridice (the Gluck version with Sylvia McNair and Derek Lee Ragin), and I might even have to play Joseph Haydn’s version too (with Joan Sutherland and Nicolai Gedda). It's all part of the wonderful experience that this novel has brought me.

Challenges and hardships, conditioned by the epidemic of the plague, are confronting the citizens of Oran with a much more terrifying madness, which is also known to us, but we are not their contemporaries. It is a disease of the soul, exile, a feeling of alienation and boredom with the absurdity of human life. However, individuals in the chaos, defying it, in the face of misfortune and its senselessness, do not succumb to cowardice and themselves become the personification of hope and the search for meaning. "The Plague" is a title that has slowly but surely accumulated numerous questions in me and led to the conclusion that the greatest literary works, between the printed sentences, have that imaginary space of the active participation of the reader, making the novel, no matter how strange it may sound, interactive. Highly recommended!

The evil that exists in the world almost always comes from ignorance, and good will can do just as much harm as malice if it is not discerning. People are more inclined to good than to evil, but the real question is not in that. But they more or less do not know and that is what is called vice or flaw, since the most terrible flaw is the flaw of ignorance, which thinks it knows everything and allows itself the freedom to kill. The soul of the killer is blind, and neither true goodness nor love exists without absolute discernment.

5/5

"A Gripping Tale of Unrelieved Horror" is a story that truly grabs hold of the reader and doesn't let go. It is a tale filled with such intense and unrelenting horror that it becomes almost impossible to put down. The events and scenes described in the story are so vivid and detailed that they seem to come to life right before the reader's eyes.

What makes this tale even more relatable is the fact that it taps into our deepest fears and anxieties. We can all identify with the characters' feelings of terror and helplessness as they are faced with the unknown and the terrifying. The story forces us to confront our own worst nightmares and makes us question what we would do in similar situations.

Overall, "A Gripping Tale of Unrelieved Horror" is a masterfully crafted piece of literature that will leave readers on the edge of their seats and haunted by its images long after they have finished reading. It is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good horror story and wants to be truly scared.

  “All I maintain is that on this earth there are pestilences and there are victims, and it's up to us, so far as possible, not to join forces with the pestilences.”

The city of Oran

What is life like during an epidemic? The answer is truly that human beings, given the time and space to cope, eventually make a habit of everything. They get used to death, to mourning silently, to treating the new sick and quarantining those they were in contact with as if it were a regular day's work. Because an epidemic normalizes the harshest and most inevitable truth of all: Death. It strips away the veneer of normalcy and forces us to confront the reality of our mortality.

“But what does it mean, the plague? It's life, that's all.”

I really like this book, and I find it highly relevant to the modern world. The Plague is indeed life. War is just another form of epidemic, causing destruction and death on a massive scale. Apartheid and the many massacres in the name of ideology are also just different manifestations of the disease within our hearts. In a world where medical research grants are harder to obtain compared to military arms deals, we must seriously consider what the real epidemic is. Is it the physical diseases that afflict our bodies, or the moral and social ills that plague our society?

“What’s true of all the evils in the world is true of plague as well. It helps men to rise above themselves.”




The story presents a fictional account, told by an unnamed narrator, of a case of bubonic plague sweeping through the French Algerian city of Oran. Set in the 1940s, the novel offers an absurdist perspective on the powerlessness experienced by the central characters when faced with an epidemic. It shows how people struggle to come to terms with the chaos and uncertainty, and how they try to find meaning and purpose in the midst of the crisis.