The Stranger is held as a prime example of an existential novel. Albert Camus denied being an existentialist during his life, though he may have changed his mind since. So, what type of novel is The Stranger? Why, a fictional one, of course.

The Stranger is characterized by two characteristics: a simplistic, almost bare bones style and a somewhat apathetic narrator. Meursault does not have much in the ways of human hopes and dreams. He does not aspire to be anything other then what he is and only pursues basic hedonistic desires by whim. To call him ordinary would be to claim that he is more exciting than he actually is. What enables him to carry the book and also is the heart of the novel is how indifferent he is to the idea of life or actions having "meaning".

As a result, Meursault presents to the readers and characters of the novel a challenge to postulation of universal meaning. He is, in fact, very much like the universe in Stephen Cranes poem:

A man said to the universe:
“Sir, I exist!"
“However,” replied the universe,
“The fact has not created in me
“A sense of obligation.”

Because of this, I read Camus' novel as a conflict between man-imposed meaning (religion, justice, morality, etc.) and an incomprehensible universe. It shows me, the reader, how absurd it is to accuse the universe of injustice, of being cruel, or even indifferent. Things will happen often with no discernible reason or motive, why waste my limited time trying to scry them?