The Transylvania Times -

By Dr. John Campbell

Albert Camus’ “The Stranger” begins with a sparse announcement: “Mother died today. Or, maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure. The telegraph from the Home says: Your Mother passed away. Funeral tomorrow. Deep Sympathy. Which leaves the matter doubtful; it could have been yesterday.”

With these opening words from Meursault, the young, unemotional narrator, we read that the day after his mother’s funeral he goes swimming, hooks up with a pretty young woman, has a lot of sex, and goes to see a comic film. Over the next few days, he gets into a fight with...