The Plague — Albert Camus | Coleman’s Notes Reader’s Companion | CN-068

A city under siege. A test of what it means to be human.

Albert Camus’s The Plague transforms an epidemic in the Algerian city of Oran into a profound exploration of suffering, isolation, solidarity, moral responsibility and the absurd.

As the city is sealed from the outside world, ordinary routines collapse. Dr Bernard Rieux, Jean Tarrou, Raymond Rambert, Joseph Grand, Father Paneloux and the other inhabitants must decide how to respond to fear, separation and death.

This substantial Coleman’s Notes Reader’s Companion takes readers beyond the plot to explore the novel’s philosophical, historical and literary significance. Camus published La Peste in 1947, and the novel is frequently read in the context of the Second World War, occupation and resistance, while its concerns extend far beyond any single historical allegory.

Inside this guide

• Detailed analysis of all five Parts
• Extended plot summary and chronology
• In-depth studies of Rieux, Tarrou, Rambert, Grand, Cottard, Paneloux and other important characters
• Major themes including solidarity, exile, suffering, freedom, love, death and moral responsibility
• Camus’s life, Algeria and intellectual background
• Absurdity, revolt and the ethics of action
• Religion and the problem of innocent suffering
• Occupation, Fascism and the Resistance interpretation
• French Algeria and the postcolonial debate
• Narrative structure, witness and reliability
• Eight extended close readings
• Symbols, motifs, settings, language and style
• Six critical approaches to the novel
• Comparative study with The Stranger and the work of Jean-Paul Sartre
• Ten analytical essay plans
• 50 reading and discussion questions
• Key episodes, key concepts and quick-recall material
• UK Exam & Academic Study Status guidance

Ideal for: students, teachers, tutors, reading groups, independent readers and anyone wishing to explore Camus beyond a straightforward plot summary.

Digital publication. Immediate download after purchase.

French Literature Collection 2

The Plague is also available as part of French Literature Collection 2:

CN-068 — The Plague — Albert Camus
CN-069 — The Stranger — Albert Camus
CN-070 — The Flies — Jean-Paul Sartre
CN-071 — No Exit — Jean-Paul Sartre
CN-072 — The Fall — Albert Camus

Individual title: £8.95
Complete 5-title collection: £39.95
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