In today’s pages we see more of the townspeople adjusting to the new reality of life under the plague. Rambert, telling his “case” to everyone he can find as a way to pass the time, ranking their reactions into categories; the man who spits on the cats finding even his pastime is cut off; police patrolling to make sure people stay indoors. I was particularly moved by the paragraph that begins: “In the terrified minds of our fellow-citizens…everything became more important. For the first time, all of us became aware of the colors of the sky and the smells of the earth which mark the passage of the seasons.” Many of us now are experiencing something similar, as we long for the simplest things that we took for granted – the cup of coffee from the corner food cart, the hug from a friend. On another note, is anyone else surprised that all the cafés seem to still be open? That seems one thing that Camus didn’t correctly predict…

FOR TOMORROW: Next 7 pages, up to the line, in dialogue, “‘I’d rather it was done by free men.'” (This is page 95 in my edition!)