The Stranger left me feeling conflicted about how I was meant to interpret its narrative. On one hand, I found Meursault's perspective and the way he navigates the world surprisingly relatable. I think many of us go through periods where we move through life on autopilot, questioning what the purpose of any of it really is. As Meursault's thoughts on both the trivial and the profound carry the reader through this short but tumultuous story, I found my opinion of him constantly shifting. At times, he felt almost like an unreliable narrator, but I think what I was really witnessing was someone unknowingly battling his own internal conflicts while trying to navigate the different stages of his life. Throughout the novel, I felt there were two versions of Meursault constantly feeding into one another. We see this through his mother's death, his relationship with Marie, his observations of Raymond and those around him, and ultimately his confrontation with the Chaplain. Each event becomes another hurdle that forces him inward. Rather than confronting his emotions directly, he seems to internalize everything, using detached observation as a way to survive and make sense of questions he ultimately cannot answer. What I appreciated most is that Camus never insists on a single interpretation. I love stories that embrace the grey areas and invite the reader to wrestle with the themes themselves. The Stranger leaves enough space for each reader to bring their own perspective to Meursault's actions, making the experience feel just as much about examining ourselves as it is about examining him.

This one was just okay. I am a big fan of the "Nightmare Before Kissmas" universe and was excited to dive into another world. For me, the vibes of the characters and the way they connected throughout the novel fell flat for me. There were some great scenes and a few pieces of the witty humor that I came to enjoy in her other books was sprinkled throughout - of what was mostly a mesh of minimalistic dialogue and a stale plot. Nothing really happens until the very end and by then, I am just reading to see how if possibly something that pushes the narrative deeper would appear. The story had fantasy/magical elements as a foundation but its easy to forget that is even a plot element throughout the entirety of this series. And yes, I say that even with a main plot focus revolving around the two characters studying magic spells. The story wore several hats and couldn't quite find its footing on what it was trying to say or represent.