His work never fails to impress me. Camus’ collection of six short stories are about people who just want to find a place where they belong, a ‘kingdom’ (home) where they feel as though their ‘exile’ will end and feel meaning/security in their lives. The stories (and my interpretation of each one) are as follows:

The Adulterous Woman:

This is a tale about the inner turmoil of the “woman” (Janine) rather than the act of physical adultery. It is a day of crisis for a middle-aged wife, whilst on a trip with her husband (Marcel) to flog his wares, who has had no reason to question her existence before. It is symbolic adultery, rather than the actual physical act, towards her husband because of her desire to escape from him and the realisation that she has been trapped in a loveless marriage for 20 years.

The Renegade (or a Confused Spirit):

Different to Camus’ usual writing style, it consists of the rambling, disjointed sentences of a man gone mad. The bizarreness makes it quite difficult to follow and interpret to begin with.
The protagonist appears to be pushed into searching for a “good/happy death” to add meaning to his suffering and to find closure. It presents the idea of following religion as absurd. I took it to be about the protagonist accepting his suffering and eventual death, and not using faith as a “way out”.

The Silent Men:

This story seems to be very much a commentary on the ageing process and how so many of us basically work ourselves to death. There is a sense of powerlessness running throughout. The business is doomed to fail, the main character is doomed to die. It has yet to happen, but there is nothing they can do but ride the storm out. The characters are frustrated with their mortality and their careers. They don’t directly communicate how they feel amongst themselves, but it is known because it is inevitable.

The Guest (Or The Host):

A schoolmaster (Daru) is visited by two guests, a man named Balducci and a prisoner (who isn’t named).
It becomes clear that Daru sympathises with the native Arabs and that he would very much like to let this prisoner go. This would also relieve him of tasks asked of him against his will.
The story ends with Daru pointing the man in either the direction of his imprisonment, or a place where he shall find shelter and solace with his people. It is up to the prisoner to make that choice. Whereas, Daru will be left all on his own.

Jonas (or The Artist At Work):

“Take me up and cast me forth into the sea... for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.”
Jonas I.12

Jonas; the famous painter, a child of divorced parents. He just moved into an apartment with his partner Louise and their three children. He soon amasses a small group of disciples/pupils which he inspires with his art. Yet despite his surroundings, he suffers an existential crisis which makes him question the meaning of his life, as one does.
He remains humble as his star rises, and he is a people pleaser. This results in him eventually retreating from society.
It highlights the paradox of us needing a sense of belonging and to communicate with others, whilst simultaneously desiring a sense of freedom and being solitary.


The Growing Stone:

This story, set so differently to the others in this collection, again highlights Camus’ opinion that religion en-masse has a detrimental effect on people.
It is very much a journey of self discovery for the main character (D’Arrast) as his driver (Socrates) tells him the tale of “The Growing Stone”.

The ending of “The Growing Stone” finally gives us readers the sense that one of the characters (D’Arrast) has actually been able to overcome the feeling of exile prevalent in each tale. He has reached the ‘kingdom’, he has found home.