# The Stranger by Albert Camus

15 Hacker News commenters recommended The Stranger by Albert Camus and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 6 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** People recommend it as a short, unsettling novel that stays with readers long after reading. Some find it a youthful work and say the second half weakens.

## Why people recommend it

- Stays with readers after reading (3 comments): "But reading The Stranger had a profound impact on me" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49133951)) "the stranger was just so different than anything I’ve ever read" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46391983)) "will give you something to think about" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49901440))
- Enjoyable to read (2 comments): "At least, I enjoyed reading the novel" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49130875)) "It's a fine book, and I ended up liking it a lot more when I went back and re-read it" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47469750))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/crime-and-punishment.md): 39 recommend
- [The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/brothers-karamazov.md): 28 recommend
- [Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace](https://hackerapproved.com/p/infinite-jest.md): 26 recommend
- [The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://hackerapproved.com/p/great-gatsby.md): 24 recommend
- [Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand](https://hackerapproved.com/p/atlas-shrugged.md): 23 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/143957099X?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9781439570999) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "The Stranger by Albert Camus", https://hackerapproved.com/p/stranger/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).