This volume contains a
selection of Nietzsche's brilliant and challenging aphorisms, examining
the pleasures of revenge, the falsity of pity, and the incompatibility
of marriage with the philosophical life.
This time, it wasn't me, it was the collection !
Slowly but surely, I'm making my way through the Penguin little black classics collection. I think this collection is a good opportunity to discover authors I would never read otherwise, from all over the world. Each little book provides an introduction, short stories, poems, essays by author, so I pick them up and find out if there is an affinity here.
However, with this one, I thought this was badly done : this is a collection of paragraphs, of sentences, on particular themes and is collected in a way that made me think that picking up a whole book written by Nietzsche would be a better introduction to his work. I've heard about him, of course, but never read him and know next to nothing about his life. In short, these texts meant mostly nothing to me, the author's thought had no place to develop. I don't know if I would love Nietzsche, yet for my personal knowledge, I'd like to pick one of his books one day. If you've never read him, I don't recommend this book. If you've read him, you probably have no need to peruse it.
The "incompatibility of marriage with the philosophical life." Just love that phrase.
ReplyDeleteThe incompatibility of family life with any thinking time left ;)
DeleteThat type of collection, with bits out of context can indeed turn out weird. I read Thus Spoke Zarathustra a few decades ago. Powerful stuff, I'm not saying I agree with him of course, but at least it makes you think
ReplyDeleteThis kind of author is not suited for the collection, I agree, but I need to read more of him in the future. When I'm back at the library !
DeleteHa, small bits might have helped me get a grasp on what he was saying in the book I had, but it sounds like this one didn't finish the whole thought in each segment so maybe not. :)
ReplyDeleteNot enough depth or information on his whole theories. I think I'll start with a biography !
DeleteThis sounds frustrating! I like the idea of using short pieces as an introduction to the author, but it sounds like this collection included pieces to short to give the necessary context.
ReplyDeleteThat"s exactly the problem :/
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