Albert Camus THE STRANGER. Was in place, but the screws had been given only a few turns and their nickeled heads stuck out above the wood, which was stained dark walnut. An Arab woman—a nurse, I supposed—was sitting beside the bier; she was wearing a blue smock and had a rather gaudy scarf wound round her hair. In Albert Camus's 'The Guest,' an idealistic schoolmaster, Daru, is forced to make many unsettling decisions when ordered to deliver an Arab prisoner to higher authorities in Tinguit. From the beginning, after the prisoner is transferred into his custody, Daru chooses to treat him as a guest rather than a prisoner. The Guest—one of Camus’ best known statements of his philosophy—an allegory of moral decision making in a hostile world. The setting is Algeria, a French colony in Northern Africa. The story was written in 1957. Algeria gained independence in 1962. The people of the region want self-rule. SuperSummary, a modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. This one-page guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of The Guest by Albert Camus. “The Guest”is a short story by the French writer Albert Camus. The Guest by Albert Camus May 29, peiman-mir5 rezakhani rated it liked vamus Shelves: It was first published in as part of a collection entitled Exile and the Kingdom L’exil et le royaume. Feb 23, Eric rated it really liked it Shelves: Le traitement choisi par l’auteur est remarquable.
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The Guest Quotes Showing 1-4 of 4
“No one in this desert, neither he nor his guest, mattered. And yet, outside this desert neither of them, Daru knew, could have really lived.”
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“Men who share the same rooms, soldiers or prisoners, develop a strange alliance as if, having cast off their armor with their clothing, they fraternized every evening, over and above their differences, in the ancient community of dream and fatigue.”
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“Daru felt a sudden wrath against the man, against all men with their rotten spite, their tireless hates, their blood lust.”
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“I'll see you off,' Daru said. 'No,' said Balducci. 'There's no use being polite. You insulted me.”
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An Algerian schoolteacher develops a strange alliance with the Arab prisoner temporarily left in his charge, giving him the chance to select his own destiny.
Published April 1st 1997 by Creative Education (first published January 1st 1997)
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Unlike his three famous novels – The Stranger, The Plague and The Fall, all written with a first-person narrator, Albert Camus’s The Guest has an objective third-person narrator telling the tale. Easily located as an online, The Guest is a short work that can be read in less than an hour, a tale written in twenty-nine short paragraphs, each paragraph sectioned off with its own paragraph number, giving the impression Camus wanted to clearly delineate his existential musings at each point in the s..more
Shelves: french, short-stories, literature, 20th-century
L'Hôte = The Guest, Albert Camus
The Guest (French: L'Hôte) is a short story by the French writer Albert Camus. It was first published in 1957 as part of a collection entitled Exile and the Kingdom (L'exil et le royaume). The French title 'L'Hôte' translates into both 'the guest' and 'the host' which ties back to the relationship between the main characters of the story. Camus employs this short tale to reflect upon issues raised by the political situation in French North Africa. In particular, h..more
The Guest (French: L'Hôte) is a short story by the French writer Albert Camus. It was first published in 1957 as part of a collection entitled Exile and the Kingdom (L'exil et le royaume). The French title 'L'Hôte' translates into both 'the guest' and 'the host' which ties back to the relationship between the main characters of the story. Camus employs this short tale to reflect upon issues raised by the political situation in French North Africa. In particular, h..more
Jun 21, 2014Florencia rated it it was amazing
Why? I have nothing to fear. (16)
1
I talked to a local priest, once. Actually, many times, since I was a catechist at my church. In one of our many complicated theological debates, I asked him about fate; its possibilities and limitations. If there is such a thing, how it could complement the idea of man's freedom? To me, rationally, the concept of free will did not seem to match the notion of fate. If everything has been seen by this omniscient God, is there something left for me to choose? Am I..more
Jul 26, 2009Shahla Pirasteh rated it it was amazing
A close study of the way in which the story deals with the Arab's act of killing his cousin will throw a different light on his character. The question of his motives arises twice. First, in the course of the discussion between Daru and Balducci, the policeman offers this information: 'A family squabble, I think. One owed grain to the other, it seems. It's not at all clear' (Camus 190). What is remarkable here is Balducci's great uncertainty, emphasized in each of the three short successive sent..more
Mar 03, 2014Joselito Honestly and Brilliantly rated it it was amazing
I believe this echoes one longer work by Camus which I read when I was a teenager and of which only the barest of it plot I now vaguely remember: 'The Stranger' (or 'The Outsider).
Life is absurd. We live in a hostile, meaningless world governed by nothing but chance.
Here kindness, compassion and the love for peace are repaid--through a strange confluence of events--by danger, a real threat to violence and death. This is, of course, a work of fiction but we all know it to be true: one sometimes..more
Jan 13, 2013B. P. Rinehart rated it really liked itLife is absurd. We live in a hostile, meaningless world governed by nothing but chance.
Here kindness, compassion and the love for peace are repaid--through a strange confluence of events--by danger, a real threat to violence and death. This is, of course, a work of fiction but we all know it to be true: one sometimes..more
Shelves: modernism-and-post-modernism-stuff, short-story-stuff, philosophy-stuff
'Daru looked at the sky, the plateau, and, beyond, the invisible lands stretching all the way to the sea. In this vast landscape he had loved so much, he was alone.' And so goes my introduction to Albert Camus.
This story set in French-occupied Algeria is about the choice to make no choice as I see it. Daru, a schoolmaster is presented with a set of choices concerning an Algerian convicted of murder who he has to transport to a nearby police station. The conflict is that he doesn't want to take..more
This story set in French-occupied Algeria is about the choice to make no choice as I see it. Daru, a schoolmaster is presented with a set of choices concerning an Algerian convicted of murder who he has to transport to a nearby police station. The conflict is that he doesn't want to take..more
To fully grasp Camus' thought behind this story, one has to think beyond the simple terms of “kindness”, “compassion”, or “good deeds”. Although no one can claim to know the mind of a writer, observing his other works can help us omit any shallow analysis.
Now for this story, it all comes down to this final sentence: “In this vast landscape he had loved so much, he was alone. “ …
But why is he alone? It appears to be more of a figurative term, that is related to Daru’s approach to the predicament..more
Now for this story, it all comes down to this final sentence: “In this vast landscape he had loved so much, he was alone. “ …
But why is he alone? It appears to be more of a figurative term, that is related to Daru’s approach to the predicament..more
Aug 18, 2013San rated it it was ok
I don't know what I should take from the short story. Is it being compassionate toward another human being or that any human being can be trustworthy, given a chance?
The intent of the story is not very clear to me. Daru seemed repulsed by the arab's crime, and he could not gather all the facts to understand the intent behind the crime. And without understanding the clear reason for the crime or circumstances of the crime, no one can be reasonably compassionate toward the criminal.
Daru seemed mor..more
The intent of the story is not very clear to me. Daru seemed repulsed by the arab's crime, and he could not gather all the facts to understand the intent behind the crime. And without understanding the clear reason for the crime or circumstances of the crime, no one can be reasonably compassionate toward the criminal.
Daru seemed mor..more
Jan 04, 2019Sleepydrummer rated it really liked it
This short story chronicles Camus' consciousness of the fraternal feelings that develop quickly between two strangers reluctantly placed together in close proximity to one another. Daru is entrusted with a prisoner that he is told is a murderer. The prisoner becomes Daru's unwelcome guest. Isolated in a remote wasteland, with limited understanding of each other's language, the guest and the host attempt to understand one another. The consequence of this interaction leads to an ethical decision...more
Oct 15, 2015Ariya rated it it was amazing
'The absurd is born of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world.'
I simply love the story though I’d rather be skeptical at first to Camus’s writing. For me, he was well-known in the famous story telling that represents more symbolic meaning than realistic humane characters or setting and it was impossible to ask for while you had been taught for years to learn and analyse about the representations in text. Also, I hate to say I don’t like reading his ol..more
I simply love the story though I’d rather be skeptical at first to Camus’s writing. For me, he was well-known in the famous story telling that represents more symbolic meaning than realistic humane characters or setting and it was impossible to ask for while you had been taught for years to learn and analyse about the representations in text. Also, I hate to say I don’t like reading his ol..more
War will never leave you peacefully non-aligned. You will be caught in the crossfire in the most absurd and ironic ways. It is the way of the universe. You are complicit by just being there, by being born into that universe, no matter what you do. It does not matter how good you are at heart, there is no Karma. There is a neatly incised dichotomy between individualism and collectivism. War is operated by collectivistic social groups that strike idealistic individualistic stances by lightening bo..more
Well written, inspiring, deep characters, gently invokes deep thought on issues of freedom, poverty, kindness, etc.. I enjoyed being brought into Camus' philosophy of absurdism and human behavior and led to a deeper connection with my own commitment to the compassion of Christ. I was left with my own belief in the example and teachings of Jesus, whether or not there is a God. The Guest really worked for me as a short story and I appreciated that it was more than just a shell for the delivery of..more
Mar 21, 2016Maryam AL-Ghafri added it
another story read very quickly for my comparative literature course. there is only one question strikes me
is Camus trying to symbolize the attitude of Algerian colonisation by France by the Arab who has the chance to run but eventually he chooses the road to the French prisons?/
is Camus trying to symbolize the attitude of Algerian colonisation by France by the Arab who has the chance to run but eventually he chooses the road to the French prisons?/
Feb 05, 2008Kelli rated it it was ok
I thought this short story really gave an interesting insight to compassion.
Fun fact: the title, in the original French, can be translated as 'guest' or 'host.' I love the ambiguity in that.
Sep 02, 2010Brenda Cregor rated it really liked it
Ironic.
This story just goes to show, what we give to the world, is not always returned to us.
This story just goes to show, what we give to the world, is not always returned to us.
Camus is my favorite African author :D
Feb 26, 2017Neeraj Chavan rated it really liked it
'Daru looked at the sky, the plateau, and, beyond, the invisible lands stretching all the way to the sea. In this vast landscape he had loved so much, he was alone.'
Only Albert Camus has that ability to blow off your mind with every word that he writes. Despite being a short tale it manages to have a deep impact on your mindset. The story is so profound yet so simple. It teaches us that sometimes it's not about having a judgement. It's about observing, without any judgement!
Only Albert Camus has that ability to blow off your mind with every word that he writes. Despite being a short tale it manages to have a deep impact on your mindset. The story is so profound yet so simple. It teaches us that sometimes it's not about having a judgement. It's about observing, without any judgement!
May 26, 2016Misha Filippov rated it really liked it
The Guest Albert Camus Pdf En Francais
Classic work in the library of the existentialism.
Absolute loneliness of a man and absurdity of most of the situations are key actors again. As Camus said in Sisyphus:
'I don’t know whether this world has a meaning that transcends it. But I know that I cannot know that meaning and that it is impossible for me just now to know it.'
Yet, there is something in this piece that makes it special (of course each piece of work of Camus is special) and it is light, kindness and humanism. Surprisingly, I..more
Absolute loneliness of a man and absurdity of most of the situations are key actors again. As Camus said in Sisyphus:
'I don’t know whether this world has a meaning that transcends it. But I know that I cannot know that meaning and that it is impossible for me just now to know it.'
Yet, there is something in this piece that makes it special (of course each piece of work of Camus is special) and it is light, kindness and humanism. Surprisingly, I..more
Feb 23, 2016Eric rated it really liked it
'In this vast landscape he had loved so much, he was alone.'
An interesting short story that highlights the power of choice, prejudice, punishment, and how the barriers between men are limited not merely by language, border, race, or religion, but deeply by our understanding, or want of understanding, each other.
The full text can be found here.
An interesting short story that highlights the power of choice, prejudice, punishment, and how the barriers between men are limited not merely by language, border, race, or religion, but deeply by our understanding, or want of understanding, each other.
The full text can be found here.
Camus takes 10 pages to perfectly sum up the tragedy and absurdity of life and the human condition. A French school teacher in Algeria just wants to teach impoverished children in a small corner of the world and be left alone. He lives in complete poverty, but he chooses to be happy because he's away from Europe's horrible wars and the rat race of life in Paris. One day, a police officer brings an Arab prisoner who has committed murder to the teacher's schoolhouse. The officer demands that the t..more
Nov 13, 2017Kiridaren Jayakumar rated it really liked it
The book The Guest by Albert Camus is too short , but like his other book The Stranger ,it consists enough deep messages.
It is story of how a prisoner is taking care of another Arab guy who is needed by the police for different reasons, a xenophobic person,Daru in the story would be annoyed with him and would try to demand the others to hand over Arab guy to the police due to the past of Arab killing his own family.
The prisoner and others would fight for him but there would be a time where he w..more
It is story of how a prisoner is taking care of another Arab guy who is needed by the police for different reasons, a xenophobic person,Daru in the story would be annoyed with him and would try to demand the others to hand over Arab guy to the police due to the past of Arab killing his own family.
The prisoner and others would fight for him but there would be a time where he w..more
Jun 24, 2018Hendry Sianipar rated it it was amazing
I read this book for more than an hour and unlike other Albert's books that I have read, The Stranger. The guest has given me a new perception of life. Reading this book has been mixing my feeling, whether the headmaster is going to die or the prisoner were about to join his brother, i thought wrong. Here we come as a human being, The act of kindness, compassions and putting the prejudice aside and everyone deserves 2nd chance. yes, there is nothing as fast as the speed of trust.
Apr 28, 2019Juergen John Roscher rated it really liked it
First time I have read Albert Camus but definitely will not be the last. A good short-story about a school teacher that has to make a difficult decision about a man who has committed murder. The decision abhors him on either available option so what will he do? A good surprise ending to the story. Recommended!
Aug 06, 2017Varniit Nigam rated it really liked it
Simple yet intrinsic where Albert Camus not only surpasses the level he maintained and achieved in 'The stranger' but also makes us acknowledge him that he can go beyond stories of struggle and decision. Read it as it is a short story and you would be delighted when you finish the story.
Oct 01, 2017عهود المخيني rated it really liked it
Such an orientalist literary peace of work! Camus' style of writing establishes itself each time I read him. For this, I liked the genuine way he deals with his characters as opposed to the self and the other. I would classify this short story as Imperial-Colonial-Existintialist literature.
'The fact that he will be punished for doing the right thing does not make it any less right. The important point is that people must do what they feel is right, without worrying about how others feel, or about possible rewards or punishments.'
Not really a great deal to review .. it's a very short story with a simple philosophical premise.
(Reminded me of Sartre's The Wall as both raise similar questions regarding loyalty during times of conflict)
(Reminded me of Sartre's The Wall as both raise similar questions regarding loyalty during times of conflict)
Short story but Camus doesn't disappoint. This is my second book by him which has me convinced that all his work would be worth reading.
Sep 07, 2017Kaitlynn De Ville rated it it was amazing
I liked this one, very short but I had a good time with it. Its one of those school reads
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Albert Camus (1913-1960) was a representative of non-metropolitan French literature. His origin in Algeria and his experiences there in the thirties were dominating influences in his thought and work. Of semi-proletarian parents, early attached to intellectual circles of strongly revolutionary tendencies, with a deep interest in philosophy (only chance prevented him from pursuing a university care..more
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“No one in this desert, neither he nor his guest, mattered. And yet, outside this desert neither of them, Daru knew, could have really lived.” — 9 likes
L'hote Albert Camus Pdf
“Men who share the same rooms, soldiers or prisoners, develop a strange alliance as if, having cast off their armor with their clothing, they fraternized every evening, over and above their differences, in the ancient community of dream and fatigue.” — 8 likes