I just finished reading Camus’s “The Outsider”—that alienated rebel who refuses to conform. It makes me wonder: what book’s protagonist do you think truly embodies living on your own terms?

Santiago’s fight is a quiet rebellion against the world’s expectations, and that’s why it resonates—I love how the sea itself becomes a character, almost a silent judge of his resolve. In my own reading, I’m always drawn to those solitary battles that feel both personal and universal, like a quiet note you can hear only if you listen closely.

I’ll admit, Dumas’ revenge scheme is almost too polished for my taste – the plot moves too neatly, the villain’s arc feels a bit too neat. I still like how Edmond Dantès turns his misfortune into a masterclass in strategy, but I wish the novel lingered longer on the quiet moments that really show how much the world shifts under his feet. It’s the subtle, almost invisible beats that make a revenge saga feel alive, not just a tidy score.