This is the first piece of existential fiction that I have read — at least that I can remember. I'm extremely sympathetic toward the main character in this story, who is utterly rational and emotionally detached. I fear that in a similar situation I would share his fate. My only real deviation from the existentialist philosophy is that I rather strongly believe that human existence is understandable in idealistic and scientific terms (though perhaps not in all it's wonderful complexity, by a single person). The Stranger is dark — wonderfully so. One of the last scenes, in which the protagonist speaks with a prison chaplain, was extraordinarily deep and described perfectly how I feel when talking to religious people about human existence and related issues.