Dubya reads Camus

In a bit of shock news to me, I learned that while on his recent break in Texas, George W picked up and managed to finish, “The Stranger� ('L'Etranger) by Albert Camus.

An aide is reported to have said about it: “He found it an interesting book and a quick read, I don’t want to go too deep into it, but we discussed the origins of existentialism.�

Bush has it seems appropriated Camus's name before, thereby unwittingly displaying a vacuum of matter not seen since the Big Bang, in a speech last year: “We know there are many obstacles, and we know the road is long. Albert Camus said that ‘freedom is a long-distance race.’ We’re in that race for the duration.�.

If a close reading of the New Testament makes Bush wanna blow shit up in the Middle East, I wonder how he feels after 'reading' the existential handbook that inspired "Killing an Arab".

Besides, does he know Camus was a frenchman?

He should be reading the writing on the wall instead and a few newspapers that are bold enough to tell the truth about his Administration's destruction of the Constitution and his failed policies, especially regarding Iraq and the ME.

I'm amazed he managed to finish the book. IIRC, it's all of 150 pages long.

It is indeed a very good book.

May I also recommend "Le Grand Meaulnes" by Alain-Fournier

I haven't read The Stranger yet, but I love The Plague simply because of the following quote:

"There always comes a time in history when the person who dares to say that two plus two equals four is punished with death.

And the issue is not what reward or what punishment will be the outcome of that reasoning. The issue is simply whether or not two plus two equals four."

Albert Camus, The Plague