Beginner question
Camus: The Stranger or The Myth of Sisyphus first?
Reading order
The Stranger (The Outsider)
Albert Camus
Most r/Camus replies say start here: short fiction, the absurd in action.
123 pp≈3 h●○○ GentleEdition: Vintage International · ISBN 9780679720201
The Myth of Sisyphus
Albert Camus
The philosophy behind it. Dense, so expect to re-read paragraphs.
208 pp≈5 h●●● DemandingRead this first: Read the final short chapter 'The Myth of Sisyphus' first, then go back.
Edition: Penguin Books Ltd · ISBN 9780141182001
The Fall
Albert Camus
Very short; often recommended third.
Edition not yet verified; link opens a Bookshop search.
The Plague
Albert Camus
Solidarity against the absurd; the most readable novel.
256 pp≈6 h●●○ SteadyEdition: Penguin Books Ltd · ISBN 9780141185132
The Rebel
Albert Camus
Densest and most political; save it until last.
288 pp≈7 h●●● DemandingEdition: Penguin Books Ltd · ISBN 9780141182018
Which translation or edition?
Our pick: any modern Penguin translation. UK editions are often titled The Outsider (Sandra Smith, Penguin Modern Classics) and US ones The Stranger (Matthew Ward). Same book. Camus' works are still in copyright in the UK, so we don't quote them. Readers who know French recommend the original, partly for its use of the passé composé.
Where people get stuck
- The minority who start with Sisyphus often say they got lost: 'had my head spinning'.
- UK/US titles confuse buyers: The Outsider = The Stranger.
- The Myth's last pages discuss Dostoevsky; reading Crime and Punishment first helps.
FAQ
Is Camus an existentialist?
He rejected the label; he called his position the absurd.
Is the Myth of Sisyphus hard?
Short but dense. Read it after a novel.