The Plague - Part 1 (1~66)
I chose this book, merely because of the coincidences that are occurring in the present, but I have also read and researched the author Albert Camus last year, so my liking towards the author was a big reason when picking up the novel.
It was an ordinary boring town in French Algeria. The narrator describes his/her city as being the stereotypical village with society and order, but with the exception of "turning its back" against the beaches that surrounded. Oran, where the story is set is having a blatantly normal day, described by an anonymous third perspective that explains the scenery throughout the buildings. The main focus throughout Part 1 is on a well-known doctor named Dr. Rieux coming out of surgery in April. After saying goodbyes to his beloved wife who, after treatment has decided to temporarily move to a sanatorium, notices a rat lying near his apartment. He points this unhygienic problem to the nearby concierge M. Michel in which he insists on being no rats. However, as days go by, the concierge notices a couple dead rats around the grounds as well.
With no realization, the doctor continues with his daily job as he visits a fairly lunatic pea counting Spaniard with asthma, who condemns the rats as a sign something apocalyptic. The reader is greeted with M. Othon, a stern-looking police magistrate and chats about the rats. Subsequently, a local news journalist named Raymond Rambert interviews doctor about the sanitary status of Arabs, in which the doctor was skeptical and asked Raymond if he would tell the truth. The journalist gave up but seemed keen on the doctor's logic. He sees Jean Tarrou, a visitor to the Spanish dancers living above his complex, and as he leaves the housing, he spots the concierge Michel, who seems reluctant to talk and looks distraught.
His mother comes throughout the week, and he calls the pest controller Mercier to exterminate the rats as it had become a large phenomenon. The rats have started to appear in all corners of Oran, with constant gruesome scenes of ill rats crawling out of the sewage system, only to stop breathing with blood in their mouths in front of the residents. Approximately 8000 or so rats have been collected within a day and as the public panics, Dr. Rieux examines an ill-looking M. Michel, only to notice sings of large and hard buboes near his neck, armpits, and groin. On the same day, a call from Joseph Grand, a recent patient of his claims that his neighbor Cottard has been acting weirdly. When upon visiting, he sees Cottard on the verge of hanging himself. Although his life was saved, Cottard fears for the police and isn't very talkative. M. Michel's swellings have sucked the blood out of his limbs and as his temperature becomes uncontrollable, he is announced dead in an emergency ambulance. This is the first victim of the so-called "plague".
The perspective now shifts toward Jean Torrou who was actually a visitor outside of Oran. He is very detailed about his occurring events and talks about a man who lives across from him that spits on his cats after throwing pieces of paper from his balcony to attract them. He then appreciates the time that he lives in, only to seeing the man sad from all his cats running away. From there, he describes the magistrate's family, comparing them to animals and also describes Dr. Rieux, in which we get the first every detailed look on him.
Back to Dr. Rieux, as he calls upon Dr. Richard to initiate a protocol, only to reject the idea as it the Protect is the only administrative that can implement it. The police arrive to confront Grand about Cottard's situation, and questions Cottard as well. Now, a lot of people have reoccurring buboes as the concierge, and Dr. Rieux is uneasy about the similarities. He talks with former colleague Dr. Castel and they both agreed on calling this "plague", and he believes that at this stage, people aren't concerned about them getting infected. He meets up with Grand and Cottard who were helping with counting the deaths. The narrator goes on to describe Grand who after feeling dissatisfied with his salary, becomes someone who thinks too much before he speaks, that he ends up unable to stay in a conversation, so he confesses his problems to Dr. Rieux. Now the doctor believes that Grand his writing a book, and is comforted by the information.
The following day, Dr. Castel and he convince the Prefect to call the situation an epidemic plague and request a serum from Paris. However, the newspapers are more concerned with the rats, rather than the infection that they're spreading. He visits Grand to inquire about Cottard in which he says has become amiable than before, which was a strange change in behavior. He then visits Cottard as they chat about being arrested in the hospital, only for Cottard to shout about him feeling an earthquake.
Another day of visitation. With the asthmatic Spaniard calling plague cholera, the doctor is hoping for the virus to end naturally. He encourages Richard and the Prefect to take more measures, and with the number of deaths increased to 30, they finally reinforce stricter rules and sanitary regulations. The serum did eventually arrive, but can only be used for severe patients.
In Oran, everything seemed to go back to normal, but with a sudden spike in deaths, the Prefect is forced to declare it is the plague and urges the city to go into quarantine.
Reading this under the circumstances of being in actual quarantine makes this novel a hundred times more relatable. For me, it was stressing to see the intentional tweaking of the truth in the media, and the slow pacing and laziness of the officials. When the doctors are fighting with a disease this unprecedented and dangerous, to see the people missing the signs of people dying from disgusting swellings, it just shows how unprepared we are, even when we witness numerous signs of rats and the rising of sick people in streets. It is also unbelievable how real this story is, and it was impressing to know that this novel was published almost 75 years ago during the aftermath of WW2. I could see how a once blunt town could gradually boil to the rim for an apocalypse that it will be encountering throughout the next few sections. I am excited and desperate to know how and what the characters introduced in this part will prioritize under severe conditions.
It was an ordinary boring town in French Algeria. The narrator describes his/her city as being the stereotypical village with society and order, but with the exception of "turning its back" against the beaches that surrounded. Oran, where the story is set is having a blatantly normal day, described by an anonymous third perspective that explains the scenery throughout the buildings. The main focus throughout Part 1 is on a well-known doctor named Dr. Rieux coming out of surgery in April. After saying goodbyes to his beloved wife who, after treatment has decided to temporarily move to a sanatorium, notices a rat lying near his apartment. He points this unhygienic problem to the nearby concierge M. Michel in which he insists on being no rats. However, as days go by, the concierge notices a couple dead rats around the grounds as well.
With no realization, the doctor continues with his daily job as he visits a fairly lunatic pea counting Spaniard with asthma, who condemns the rats as a sign something apocalyptic. The reader is greeted with M. Othon, a stern-looking police magistrate and chats about the rats. Subsequently, a local news journalist named Raymond Rambert interviews doctor about the sanitary status of Arabs, in which the doctor was skeptical and asked Raymond if he would tell the truth. The journalist gave up but seemed keen on the doctor's logic. He sees Jean Tarrou, a visitor to the Spanish dancers living above his complex, and as he leaves the housing, he spots the concierge Michel, who seems reluctant to talk and looks distraught.
His mother comes throughout the week, and he calls the pest controller Mercier to exterminate the rats as it had become a large phenomenon. The rats have started to appear in all corners of Oran, with constant gruesome scenes of ill rats crawling out of the sewage system, only to stop breathing with blood in their mouths in front of the residents. Approximately 8000 or so rats have been collected within a day and as the public panics, Dr. Rieux examines an ill-looking M. Michel, only to notice sings of large and hard buboes near his neck, armpits, and groin. On the same day, a call from Joseph Grand, a recent patient of his claims that his neighbor Cottard has been acting weirdly. When upon visiting, he sees Cottard on the verge of hanging himself. Although his life was saved, Cottard fears for the police and isn't very talkative. M. Michel's swellings have sucked the blood out of his limbs and as his temperature becomes uncontrollable, he is announced dead in an emergency ambulance. This is the first victim of the so-called "plague".
The perspective now shifts toward Jean Torrou who was actually a visitor outside of Oran. He is very detailed about his occurring events and talks about a man who lives across from him that spits on his cats after throwing pieces of paper from his balcony to attract them. He then appreciates the time that he lives in, only to seeing the man sad from all his cats running away. From there, he describes the magistrate's family, comparing them to animals and also describes Dr. Rieux, in which we get the first every detailed look on him.
Back to Dr. Rieux, as he calls upon Dr. Richard to initiate a protocol, only to reject the idea as it the Protect is the only administrative that can implement it. The police arrive to confront Grand about Cottard's situation, and questions Cottard as well. Now, a lot of people have reoccurring buboes as the concierge, and Dr. Rieux is uneasy about the similarities. He talks with former colleague Dr. Castel and they both agreed on calling this "plague", and he believes that at this stage, people aren't concerned about them getting infected. He meets up with Grand and Cottard who were helping with counting the deaths. The narrator goes on to describe Grand who after feeling dissatisfied with his salary, becomes someone who thinks too much before he speaks, that he ends up unable to stay in a conversation, so he confesses his problems to Dr. Rieux. Now the doctor believes that Grand his writing a book, and is comforted by the information.
The following day, Dr. Castel and he convince the Prefect to call the situation an epidemic plague and request a serum from Paris. However, the newspapers are more concerned with the rats, rather than the infection that they're spreading. He visits Grand to inquire about Cottard in which he says has become amiable than before, which was a strange change in behavior. He then visits Cottard as they chat about being arrested in the hospital, only for Cottard to shout about him feeling an earthquake.
Another day of visitation. With the asthmatic Spaniard calling plague cholera, the doctor is hoping for the virus to end naturally. He encourages Richard and the Prefect to take more measures, and with the number of deaths increased to 30, they finally reinforce stricter rules and sanitary regulations. The serum did eventually arrive, but can only be used for severe patients.
In Oran, everything seemed to go back to normal, but with a sudden spike in deaths, the Prefect is forced to declare it is the plague and urges the city to go into quarantine.
Reading this under the circumstances of being in actual quarantine makes this novel a hundred times more relatable. For me, it was stressing to see the intentional tweaking of the truth in the media, and the slow pacing and laziness of the officials. When the doctors are fighting with a disease this unprecedented and dangerous, to see the people missing the signs of people dying from disgusting swellings, it just shows how unprepared we are, even when we witness numerous signs of rats and the rising of sick people in streets. It is also unbelievable how real this story is, and it was impressing to know that this novel was published almost 75 years ago during the aftermath of WW2. I could see how a once blunt town could gradually boil to the rim for an apocalypse that it will be encountering throughout the next few sections. I am excited and desperate to know how and what the characters introduced in this part will prioritize under severe conditions.
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