A self-described 'judge-penitent', met in a cosmopolitan bar in Amsterdam, tells us the story of his life in this evocative, yet deeply introspective novel by existential philosopher Albert Camus. The narrator is an intelligent, voluble, fanciful man, who had been a lawyer in his former life, never doubting that he was an essentially good person, fulfilling more than his share of charitable, even altruistic duties, and even taking great pleasure in the realization that he was a better man than most... at least until an incident on a bridge in November taught him that he was not so remarkable a man after all. After this experience, his self-confidence and self-image are shattered, as is his overall perception of humanity in general. Unable to go on as he had been, he re-invents himself as part of a plan to try to give meaning to the remains of his broken life.
While not as much of a 'downer' book as the above synopsis may sound to some, this is a very sobering story for those who have given little thought to their own moral position in the world. The narrator's fall from ignorant bliss is universal, or at least common enough that it should strike a disturbing chord with most readers. Still, the story is perhaps not entirely without hope, and is, of course, told in descriptive language that evokes urban Europe while providing settings that carefully dictate mood and theme as well. The structure of the essentially one-sided conversation is powerfully riveting, and helps keep this book a quick read despite its weightiness, but the structure is also functional within the context of the story, since the purpose is to convert the reader to the narrator's viewpoint. Whether this technical tour-de-force actually changes one's life or not, readers should be prompted to re-examine their own lives and values, which in itself can hardly be a bad thing. This book is not challenging reading, but it challenges the way we live and perceive ourselves.