Classics · Literary
The Plague
Bestseller: about 12 million copies (estimate)When rats begin dying in the Algerian port city of Oran, an epidemic follows and the town is sealed off. The story follows a doctor and the people around him as they decide how to live while it rages.
Facts last checked 2026-10-16
- First published
- 1947
- Pace
- Slow
- Length
- Medium
- Pages
- 296
- Format
- Standalone
Read this if you want a thoughtful, calm novel about duty, solidarity and living with a crisis.
Skip this if you want a thriller about the disease; this is a philosophical novel with little suspense.
The feel
Content warnings
Quick answers about The Plague
- What is The Plague about?
- When rats begin dying in the Algerian port city of Oran, an epidemic follows and the town is sealed off. The story follows a doctor and the people around him as they decide how to live while it rages.
- Who should read The Plague?
- Read it if you want a thoughtful, calm novel about duty, solidarity and living with a crisis. Skip it if you want a thriller about the disease; this is a philosophical novel with little suspense.
- How long and how fast is The Plague?
- It is a slow-paced, medium read of about 296 pages, first published in 1947.
- Does The Plague have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Pandemic, Death, Child death, Grief.
- Can I borrow The Plague for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends The Plague; the borrow button above searches it for you.
- What should I read after The Plague?
- Readers who liked it often move on to The Stranger, Station Eleven, The Road.
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Where to get it
| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
| Amazon | Check price | Buy new from Amazon |
| Ebook | ||
| Kobo | Check price | Buy ebook from Kobo |
| Google Play Books | Check price | Buy ebook from Google Play Books |
| Audiobook | ||
| Audible | Check price | Buy audiobook from Audible |
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