The Adulterous Woman by Albert Camus. Short summary

5 seconds

A married couple rides a bus through Algeria. Marcel and Jeanine have been married for a long time and their relationship is stable. The husband is quiet and bored, and the woman wants new emotions and experiences.

1 minute

A married couple travels by bus through Algeria on a business trip. Marcel and Jeanine have been married for a long time, and their relationship is rather strained. The woman finds her husband too inert and boring. She herself, in her opinion, is still attractive. An Algerian soldier starts flirting with Janine on the bus, but nothing comes of it, and the woman is disappointed.

Marcel and Jeanine stay the night at the hotel and decide to visit a nearby fort. The woman feels excited and inspired on the excursion, while the man is frankly bored and hurries to his room.

At the hotel, Marcel falls asleep quickly, but Jeanine is unable to calm down. She sneaks out of her room and goes for a walk in the fort at night. The woman feels a strong sense of excitement and freedom. Jeanine runs around the fort, energized, lying on her back under the stars.

The woman returns to her room. Marcel wakes up and sees his wife crying. But Jeanine decides not to tell her husband about the night’s walk.