20th Century Novel Ed's Blog which is kool

My first impression of The Plague (before reading the book of course) was that it was going to discuss an incredibly different scenario than the modern-day quarantine.  The modern knowledge of medicine, the technology we have, and the biological makeup of each disease is so different, I thought I would get a completely different perspective.  For some reason, it conveys much more similar conditions than I thought. I think this parallel phenomenon can mainly be attributed to how the governing body had handled the plague over time.  Dr. Rieux and the medical board had warned the governing body and political leaders, just like the United States had in the early stages of Covid.  Yet, most chose to ignore it, and suppress it's spread through the media.  They downplayed the disease much like the US did, and when they declared it as a social threat, it was already too late.  The disease had spread extremely quickly, resulting in disastrous effects on the town, ju...

 I'd have to say the ending of this story was almost too anticlimactic for my taste.  I was expecting a character to be killed off, whether it be Cohn, Brett, or Jake. Most importantly, I think it symbolized some sort of loop in Brett and Jake's relationship. I am assuming that some way or another, every event in the story that we have seen in the story, has happened somewhat similarly before, and will continue to towards the future.  This is not only seen in the repetitive nature (constant drinking at bars, eating at restaurants, drama with Brett, and drunk chaos), but it is especially intimated by the ending. "Oh, Jake," Brett said, "we could have had such a damned good time together." Ahead was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic. He raised his baton. The car slowed suddenly pressing Brett against me. "Yes," I said. "Isn't it pretty to think so?"    Notice Brett's wording, "we could".  Their whole relations...