The novel begins with one of the most famous openings in 20th-century fiction: Meursault receives news of his mother’s death. What follows is not dramatic sorrow, but practical observation. He travels to the care home, attends the vigil and notices heat, fatigue, coffee, cigarettes and the physical strain of the funeral. His behaviour feels emotionally wrong to others. He does not cry. He does not offer the expected language of mourning. Already, before the crime that defines the book, Meursault is on trial.
