Re-reading Camus’s ‘The Plague’ in pandemic times

Albert’s Camus’s famous 1947 novel The Plague has now come to the attention of a new generation of readers – those who draw parallels between Camus’s depictions of disease-ridden Algeria and the COVID-19 pandemic we are currently living through. It is the story of placid everyday lives that are suddenly, brutally disrupted by a virus: an existential reminder of the arbitrariness of life and the certainty and randomness of death. In this podcast, Dr Raj Persaud talks to the author of A Very Short Introduction to Camus, Dr Oliver Gloag, about the impact this writer could have on our outlook and behaviour during these challenging times.

We are pleased to offer this podcast free for those without a paid subscription. If you are a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, you can log in straight away using the same username and password with which you access the members' area of the College website. Otherwise, all you need to do is register with the College.