"The Trial" by Franz Kafka

Joseph.K, a banker by profession, wakes up one day only to find two men appear in his house and keep him under arrest for a crime that is unspecified. The novel progresses with K.'s struggle against the judicial system and his search for the substance of charge leveled against him. He is placed under trial without knowing the specifics of the crime he had committed and every attempt he makes to unravel the reason behind the charge and the status of his trial proves futile. 

The solitary struggle of Joseph.K against the absurd bureaucratic processes of the judicial system is presented as a political satire on totalitarianism. At the same time, K.'s quest to find the substance of his trial is a metaphorical take on his own existence, thus making this an existential novel. 

The self-determined approach of K. towards the start of the trial withers away slowly after his futile attempts at finding what he is guilty of. The final episode conveys the inevitable end of his unjust trial. This analogy with the journey of life towards an inevitable end makes this novel a good read. However, the dead ends which K. faces at all his attempts becomes repetitive at a point and slows down the pace of the novel. With shades of Albert Camus' take on absurdity and existentialism, Franz Kafka's "The Trial" is another classic which can convey different perspectives to different people at different times. 

“The Stranger” by Albert Camus

Albert Camus who believed in “Absurdism” and was quite vocal about it puts across a story in “The Stranger” that is rooted and stays true to his belief. 

Mersault, the protagonist in this novel hears about the demise of his mother in the retirement home that he left her in. He reaches the home for her funeral, but he is not able to feel any sense of grief and he refuses to see his mother’s face for one last time. Since, he is not able to feel any grief which is expected out of him by the society he lives in, he looks like a stranger to himself. The novel starts off with this interesting yet strange scene.

The journey of Mersault from leading a life that he thinks is filled with meaningless events to accepting the inevitability of death is brilliantly portrayed. What makes Mersault feel a stranger in the society is society’s compulsive need to search for a rationale behind one’s actions or the happenings everyday. 

When Mersault is on trial for a crime in the later half of the novel, the same compulsive need makes the jury stand against the fair judgement of the crime. But, some of Mersault’s actions seem strange to us, even if it is justified from his point of view - may be we are driven by society’s collective mindset too!

The characters in the novel who influence Mersault’s actions are well written. These characters and how they link themselves with the protagonist are well established. Finally, when these characters serve as witnesses in Mersault’s trial, there is a proper closure to each of them. 

A slow paced yet impactful novel!