Personal Reaction to the Stranger

George W. Bush actually read the Stranger on the Crawford ranch, but this is him reacting to something else.

When I first read the Stranger, I read it straight through, probably speed reading/skimming like I usually do. At first I thought it was this story about some guy who does essentially nothing in the first half then shoots a man and is executed for it (we assume). I had trouble accepting the fact that Meursault got executed. Just a thought. Then I went on Wikipedia, like I usually do, and researched more about the novel and author.

Then English came. So I read it and found some cool beans metaphors and literary devices and what not. Sort of impressed. I suppose I half understand the brilliance, although I cringe at the word, of Camus' work. I think, by personal philosophy, or perhaps by peer pressure, I shouldn't like English books. So I rationalize my enjoyment, or (the better word) indifference (hint, hint) of the book to this: Do you know how coffee or beer, when you first taste it, it tastes terrible? Then you ask why millions of people around the world "enjoy" these beverages? And they say, "It's an acquired taste. You wouldn't understand, it's just an adult thing." And then we accept it like the sheep we are and pass this terrible tradition down through the ages? Yeah, this is that. You should also know, when people say, "It's an acquired taste. You wouldn't understand, it's just an adult thing," it just means it's terrible and they got used to it.