When was The Plague novel by Albert Camus published?
The Plague novel by Albert Camus was published in 1947. The author had been working on the text as early as April 1941 and informed André Malraux of his progress on the 13th of March 1942.
The Plague novel by Albert Camus was published in 1947. The author had been working on the text as early as April 1941 and informed André Malraux of his progress on the 13th of March 1942.
Albert Camus used the cholera epidemic that killed a large proportion of Oran's population in 1849 as source material for The Plague. Academic studies indicate Oran was decimated by bubonic plague in 1556 and 1678, with smaller outbreaks occurring in 1921, 1931, and 1944.
The Plague became a bestseller during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 to 2021, causing British publisher Penguin Classics to struggle with demand. Sales in Italy tripled and the book reached top-ten status during nationwide lockdowns.
Main characters analyzed in The Plague include Father Paneloux, Doctor Rieux, Jean Tarrou, Mr Cottard, and Raymond Rambert. Thomas L Hanna and John Loose discussed themes related to Christianity through Father Paneloux and Doctor Rieux, while Louis R Rossi examined the philosophical guilt behind Jean Tarrou.
Adaptations include a 1965 cantata titled La Peste composed by Roberto Gerhard, a 1970 Hong Kong film called Yesterday Today Tomorrow directed by Patrick Lung, and a 1992 film version directed by Luis Puenzo. Neil Bartlett adapted the work as a play in 2017 which premiered on BBC Radio 4 on the 26th of July 2020.