Albert Camus
Matthew Ward · 1988
Matthew Ward's 1988 translation is the American standard, and the one I'd start with — spare and flat in the right way, faithful to Camus's deadpan. It's the version that gave us 'Maman died today' instead of the older 'Mother died today,' a small change that resets the whole tone. This is where I'd start.
Sandra Smith · 2013
Sandra Smith's 2013 translation (titled The Outsider) is the freshest — she worked partly from a recording of Camus reading the book aloud, tuning the rhythm to his own voice. Widely admired; the one to weigh against Ward.
Stuart Gilbert · 1946
Stuart Gilbert's 1946 translation was the first, and reads the most smoothly — but in a British register that softens Camus's flatness, and it's the least literal. A historical choice more than a first read.
Which Edition earns a small commission from purchases made through our links, at no extra cost to you — it never changes our picks.