The Plague

Book Name : The Plague

Author : Albert Camus

What is it about : On an ordinary day in the French Algerian seaside town of Oran, rats came out first in their tens, then in their hundreds to curl up and died. Soon the Oran population came to the same fate and the town came under quarantine. Emotions flared up and unrest spread around town; amongst the residents, one Doctor Rieux stayed stoic, composed and began treating the infected patients whilst bearing his own worries on his family. Not only was Rieux an active participant in the crisis, he witnessed as a bystander and chronicled the events unfolding, the ugliness and high morals of individuals and the eventual triumph as the town emerged scarred, cleansed and resurrected.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The whole emotional cycle of first the population becoming puzzled, then incredulous, then despair, then courageous until solidarity and bonds formed amongst the fighters and helpers would be no news of our world of 2020 as Covid spread and conquered and hopefully finally stopped and cured. The government response, the upheaval experienced by the population of Oran, the crisis of food and supplies shortages, the torment of loved ones separated and lost all rang a bell and in fact, the reactions of our species to contagion changed little - fictitious or real life, ancient or present.

Would I recommend this book to you : A classic read from this great author. He captured the essence of a world tuned up-side-down by the overwhelming but invisible force of Nature and at the same time provided a detailed depiction of the colorful characters involved - government officials, hospital staff, sentries, religious leaders, families and even human traffickers ! I found the book even more relevant and readable in a year when we faced the pandemic of our lifetime. Not to be missed !