So as a sort of dark humour, funny only to myself type thing, I started reading Albert Camus' The Plague , but I like to think he had smaller, more personal themes in mind...or at least these other themes came

order (and note that these are books I've actually read so that's why there are 4): 1: The Plague by Albert Camus Is this book about disease or a country suffering under occupation or the human race rebelling Camus' spare style might have understated the situation but actually makes the novel thicken with tension

look upon it (travel) as a spiritual journey...It brings us back to ourselves" Notebooks 1935-1951 By Albert Camus Camus' dourness mars the larger quote from which I've taken this but he seems to be saying that

From this new form of care came new ways of engaging and understanding each other.