The Plague“Its relevance lashes you across the face.” —Stephen Metcalf, The Los Angeles Times • “A redemptive book, one that wills the reader to believe, even in a time of despair.” —Roger Lowenstein, The Washington Post A haunting tale of human resilience and hope in the face of unrelieved horror, Albert Camus' iconic novel about an epidemic ravaging the people of a North African coastal town is a classic of twentieth-century literature. The townspeople of Oran are in the grip of a deadly plague, which condemns its victims to a swift and horrifying death. Fear, isolation and claustrophobia follow as they are forced into quarantine. Each person responds in their own way to the lethal disease: some resign themselves to fate, some seek blame, and a few, like Dr. Rieux, resist the terror. An immediate triumph when it was published in 1947, The Plague is in part an allegory of France's suffering under the Nazi occupation, and a timeless story of bravery and determination against the precariousness of human existence. |
From inside the book
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Page 105
... sound of people running in the street below the window . Rieux stood up . " Just wait and see what I make of it , " Grand said , and , glancing toward the window , added : " When all this is over . ' But then the sound of hurried ...
... sound of people running in the street below the window . Rieux stood up . " Just wait and see what I make of it , " Grand said , and , glancing toward the window , added : " When all this is over . ' But then the sound of hurried ...
Page 149
... sound of footsteps and voices in the hall ; the family were being warned of the doctor's visit . " I hope Tarrou ... sounds a lot , no doubt . But it's barely enough to cope with the present state of affairs . And it will be quite inad ...
... sound of footsteps and voices in the hall ; the family were being warned of the doctor's visit . " I hope Tarrou ... sounds a lot , no doubt . But it's barely enough to cope with the present state of affairs . And it will be quite inad ...
Page 254
... sound like a gunshot . Then silence fell again . Rieux counted two flashes of the revolving light . The breeze freshened and a gust coming from the sea filled the air for a moment with the smell of brine . And at the same time they ...
... sound like a gunshot . Then silence fell again . Rieux counted two flashes of the revolving light . The breeze freshened and a gust coming from the sea filled the air for a moment with the smell of brine . And at the same time they ...
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Common terms and phrases
Albert Camus ambulance anyhow asthma began Bois de Boulogne Booker Prize breath café called camp Castel coming concierge Cottard crowd dark dead rats death disease doctor door entered epidemic exile eyes face Father Paneloux feeling fellow citizens felt fever FLAUBERT'S PARROT followed gates gave gazed going Gonzales Grand hand heard heart hope horse hoofs hospital hour idea journalist knew light living looked mind morning mother narrator never night once Oran Othon patient pestilence Philip Roth picture plague pneumonic plague police Prefect quarantine quicklime railway directory Rambert realized Rieux asked Rieux replied round sanitary seemed silence smile sort sound street streetcars suffering talking Tarrou asked tell there's thing thought told took town townsfolk trying turned voice waiting walked walls week wife window words