The Stranger was a weird one for me, because I think the reputation left me expecting something else. It did not bludgeon me with the philosophical argument the way I expected. Instead, I find that I'm kind of unsympathetic to Meursault.
He seems aimless and pathetic, and he does the crime. He does it for reasons that are unclear to him, but he does do it. The trial focusing on his lack of emotion is *weird* but doesn't seem unreasonable for what is essentially an intent question.
One thing I do wonder about is how much of Meursault's attitude towards Algerians is intended by Camus to make me dislike the character versus how much is just Camus having unpleasant views about French Algeria.
I've always suspected (though I admit I have not researched it) that "The Stranger" was his answer to common misperceptions of existentialism - "if this is all there is, why NOT be evil?" - while "The Plague" expressed his own view: "if this is all there is, do your best."
I guess I sort of don't see the question. Like you look at Meursault and he's got all these opportunities to do stuff that would be meaningful and he just doesn't. It seems, to me, less like a philosophical insight and more like a guy with untreated depression.
