46 pages • 1 hour read
Andre GideThe Immoralist
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1902A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
The Immoralist by André Gide is a novel about Michel, a French scholar who marries Marceline, a Catholic woman, to fulfill his dying father's wish but soon falls ill with tuberculosis. As he recovers in North Africa, Michel's existential journey leads him to reject societal norms and pursue hedonistic pleasures, ultimately causing strain on his marriage and resulting in profound personal realizations and moral ambiguity. The book contains themes of illness and death.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Reviews for The Immoralist by André Gide highlight the novel's exploration of self-discovery and moral ambiguity. Positively noted are its rich prose and profound psychological insight. Critics, however, mention its slow pacing and sometimes unlikeable protagonist. Overall, the novel is praised for its depth and challenging themes, despite some narrative flaws.
Who Should Read The Immoralist?
A reader with a penchant for psychological introspection and moral dilemmas will enjoy André Gide's The Immoralist. Fans of Albert Camus' The Stranger and Fyodor Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground will appreciate its exploration of existential themes and the protagonist's conflict between societal norms and personal freedom.