Book Island

My First Reflection After Reading The Plague Twice This Year Reading The Plague once is an experience. Reading it twice—especially in today’s world—feels like peeling back layers of meaning that shift under scrutiny. Camus' novel, often interpreted as an allegory for fascism and human endurance, is undeniably powerful. Yet, on my second reading, I couldn't ignore its omissions: the erasure of colonial realities, the depoliticization of fascism, and the way its language reinforces a detached, almost clinical perspective on suffering. This reflection is my attempt to reconcile my admiration for Camus with my growing awareness of these gaps. While The Plague is an intellectual masterpiece, does its universalism come at the cost of truth? And if so, what does that say about the way we, in modern times, understand and narrate suffering? Camus’ Absurdism and the Historical Metaphor of The Plague The Plague as an Allegory for Fascism The most common reading of The Plague s...