Existential malaise

According to Slate's John Dickerson, President Bush read Camus's novel The Stranger while on vacation this summer. According to Tony Snow, Bush "found it an interesting book and a quick read": "I don't want to go too deep into it, but we discussed the origins of existentialism." Which suggests that the president delved into Heidegger, or perhaps Nietzsche. I suspect he didn't, but I'm with John on this: "We want a book report!"

What does Bush think of Camus? What did he take away from this rather odd (for him) read (summer or not)? Did he find it challenging? Did it compel him to reconsider his Manichaean worldview? What does he think of existentialism? "Does his experience in Iraq push him to read works replete with themes of angst, anxiety, and dread? Was the president trying to gain insight into the thinking of Europeans who are skeptical of his plan for democracy in the Middle East, founded as it is on the idea of a universal rational essence that existentialists reject?" Will he now turn to The Fall. Or to The Myth of Sisyphus?

All good questions. At least, as far as we know, he isn't wasting his time with, say, Ayn Rand. Whether he gets the point of Camus or not, whether "he identifies with Meursault," the Arab-killer, or not, I'd much rather imagine him contemplating the meaning(lessness) of existence than wallowing arrogantly in his own righteousness. Although I suspect this is just some laughable effort by the White House spin machine to make the president look much more thoughtful than he really is, to "challenge the prevailing stereotype about the president's favorite place and his intellect". Or maybe Laura made him do it.

Next think you know, Tony Snow will enlighten us of Bush's understanding of the unbearable lightness of being. Now that would demand a book report!