A Happy Death takes place mainly in Algiers and follows a man named Patrice Meursault throughout his travels and experiences with different women. The novel was published post-mortem in 1970 and some critics believe it was a preamble to The Stranger, but none of that is confirmed. A Happy Death The story is divided into two parts—Natural Death and Conscious Death. Natural Death begins with Patrice shooting a quadriplegic man, Zagreus. The story then back tracks to Patrice meeting up with his friend, Emmanuel, at a café they frequently visit. Patrice then divulges into his relationship with Marthe and how he enjoys the envious glances men give him when they’re together. After Marthe runs into an old lover at the theatre, Patrice insists she tells all the names of the ten men she has slept with. He knew all but one, Zagreus. Marthe brings Patrice to meet Zagreus, as Zagreus and her are still good friends despite their past relationship. Although he was not initially fond of Zagreus, Patrice and him end up becoming quite good friends. After some time, Zagreus implies that he wants Patrice to kill him because the life that he lives is not fulfilling and that is a waste. A Conscious Death begins after word of Zagreus’ death gets out and Patrice gets ill and flees from Algiers.
A Conscious Death follows Patrice around as he searches to find meaning within his life by traveling extensively. Patrice makes large discoveries about what it means to be happy and what the true goal of life is during the second half of the novel. He tries to find happiness in friendship, in girls, but he ultimately realizes that true happiness is thinking of life in a conscious matter. Patrice ends up dying after coming to terms with death while lying next to his wife, Lucienne, whom he does not love. The book ends with Patrice being content with the life that he had lived.
A Conscious Death follows Patrice around as he searches to find meaning within his life by traveling extensively. Patrice makes large discoveries about what it means to be happy and what the true goal of life is during the second half of the novel. He tries to find happiness in friendship, in girls, but he ultimately realizes that true happiness is thinking of life in a conscious matter. Patrice ends up dying after coming to terms with death while lying next to his wife, Lucienne, whom he does not love. The book ends with Patrice being content with the life that he had lived.