Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

The Plague is a decent candidate for Camus' most important work. It should be required reading for anyone interested in how people (and states) respond to the outbreak of an epidemic (which today, includes everyone).

> "No longer were there individual destinies; only a collective destiny, made of plague and the emotions shared by all. Strongest of these emotions was the sense of exile and deprivation, with all the crosscurrents of revolt and fear set up by these."



> It should be required reading for anyone interested in how people (and states) respond to the outbreak of an epidemic (which today, includes everyone).

It should not. I think a more modern writer would do a much better job of capturing the essence of Covid and probably future epidemics. Exile and deprivation were much less of a concern in a world with the internet.


One more recent novel that tackles interplay of epidemic, politics around it is "Nights of Plague" by Orhan Pamuk.


Another important novel about an epidemic is Alessandra Manzoni's "Betrothed".




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: