Albert Camus’s first novel, “The Stranger” (L’Étranger), has had a profound impact on millions of readers since its first English publication in 1946. The story revolves around an ordinary man who unintentionally becomes involved in a senseless murder on a sun-drenched Algerian beach. Through this narrative, Camus explores the concept he termed “the nakedness of man faced with the absurd.”

In a new American translation, notable for its precision and clarity, the original intent of “The Stranger” is presented in a way that makes its themes more immediate. This haunting novel, with its exploration of existential themes and the absurdity of human existence, continues to captivate readers and has been given new life for generations to come.