I already had this book waiting for me, but it moved up the list when I saw it mentioned in The Search for Major Plagge. When I was reading some of Plagge's letters, he mentioned this book more than once.
The plague has taken over the town of Oran, and members of the town are taking it differently. A doctor is on the front lines and comes across various people from different walks of life. Each offers a unique perspective on the plague with how they deal with it. There are a fair number of characters to keep track of, but I never had any issue keeping up.
I'm sure many people will compare this with the COVID epidemic, and I can understand why they would. But the book is much more than that. The narrator purposely tries to give different points of view, how different people reacted to the situation and how they coped. It gets philosophical at some points and religious at others.
I can't believe this book was written in 1947. It is written so well and the emotions portrayed are relatable today. Characters in this book do not have plot armor, but it's incredibly appropriate for the devastating disease the city is dealing with. Also, this particular translation addressed some liberties taken with a previous one. The changes are mentioned in an afterword, and I feel they were warranted. Good Book!
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