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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Can you even rate a book like this? A landmark text that I've been meaning to read for the past 15 years, but I'm glad I waited until I was in my thirties to attempt it.
In the four-part book (described on Wikipedia as philosophical fiction), Zarathustra comes down from his mountain cave to tell the people about his vision of the overman. Through his travels, he further illuminates his philosophy as he explains it to clergymen, magicians, the last pope, a tightrope walker, the ugliest man, etc.
This was my introduction to Nietzche, so I certainly didn't fully grasp all the concepts. My spouse has spent far more time with Nietzsche and still re-reads this text to absorb more. For my first pass, I used SparkNotes to recap what I'd read and make sure I was grasping the meaning. Nietzsche's writing was nothing at all like what I expected from a philosophical text. It was organic, vibrant, inventive. What a fascinating method of exploring a complex, sometimes contradictory philosophy.
This is my bare-bones novice take: Nietzsche explores an extreme individualism that emphasizes living in this life instead of devoting oneself to the assumption that an after-life exists. Hence Zarathustra's claim that "God is dead." We must commit fully to living this precious, finite life, and devote our time on this earth to journeying toward becoming the "overman." I still haven't fully understood the concept of the overman, but my takeaway is that the overman has both wisdom and humor, and has fully embraced life on earth. Nietzsche claims humanity will shake out into a hierarchy in which the future leaders of the world are overmen, and they govern the clueless crowd. It's an anti-democratic viewpoint--though not necessarily fascist--and I can see how someone who hasn't read him closely might abuse his words. (There's a lot of writing out there explaining how the Nazis and alt-right have twisted his words.)
Fascinating, and as I'm writing this review, I'm feeling like I want to reread the text and his other works. Again, as a total noob, I can't help thinking that the unusual way in which Nietzsche presents his ideas--through storytelling and with such playful language--is part of what invites so much scrutiny of his ideas. There are so many twists and turns and nooks and crannies to explore.
In the four-part book (described on Wikipedia as philosophical fiction), Zarathustra comes down from his mountain cave to tell the people about his vision of the overman. Through his travels, he further illuminates his philosophy as he explains it to clergymen, magicians, the last pope, a tightrope walker, the ugliest man, etc.
This was my introduction to Nietzche, so I certainly didn't fully grasp all the concepts. My spouse has spent far more time with Nietzsche and still re-reads this text to absorb more. For my first pass, I used SparkNotes to recap what I'd read and make sure I was grasping the meaning. Nietzsche's writing was nothing at all like what I expected from a philosophical text. It was organic, vibrant, inventive. What a fascinating method of exploring a complex, sometimes contradictory philosophy.
This is my bare-bones novice take: Nietzsche explores an extreme individualism that emphasizes living in this life instead of devoting oneself to the assumption that an after-life exists. Hence Zarathustra's claim that "God is dead." We must commit fully to living this precious, finite life, and devote our time on this earth to journeying toward becoming the "overman." I still haven't fully understood the concept of the overman, but my takeaway is that the overman has both wisdom and humor, and has fully embraced life on earth. Nietzsche claims humanity will shake out into a hierarchy in which the future leaders of the world are overmen, and they govern the clueless crowd. It's an anti-democratic viewpoint--though not necessarily fascist--and I can see how someone who hasn't read him closely might abuse his words. (There's a lot of writing out there explaining how the Nazis and alt-right have twisted his words.)
Fascinating, and as I'm writing this review, I'm feeling like I want to reread the text and his other works. Again, as a total noob, I can't help thinking that the unusual way in which Nietzsche presents his ideas--through storytelling and with such playful language--is part of what invites so much scrutiny of his ideas. There are so many twists and turns and nooks and crannies to explore.
DNF around page 60 or so. Everything this dude says pisses me off.
This is Nietzsche’s crowning achievement. It's insightful and profound. I'm hesitant to say this is my favorite work of Nietzsche; however, it is a great read.
Maybe I should read other translations and compare. I don't really hold much issue with the work. It can be a bit dense; however, its allegory and style are quite compelling.
90/100
Maybe I should read other translations and compare. I don't really hold much issue with the work. It can be a bit dense; however, its allegory and style are quite compelling.
90/100
Zarathustra, the character through which Nietzsche vicariously spews forth his world-view, is a pompous, narcissistic, ego maniac that is so obsessed with how right he is, he can't see just how terribly wrong he ends up being. Nietzsche constantly contradicts himself, uses poor logic and reasoning, and pushes for a social order that benefits only the elite. I'm appalled of Nietzsche's idea that the great men of the world should walk all over the little, regular people to achieve their greatness. He says that the existence of the general population is justified only by the fact that there may come out of them a greater race (Hitler was a big fan of this view as well). He says that morality and ethics are not real, but merely tools to manipulate masses and hold back the elite. This guy must have been insane! (Turns out he was, being committed to a mental institution only years after finishing this work).
I believe George Bernard Shaw put it best, when he said the following about this book: "Nietzsche is worse than shocking, he is simply awful...Nietzsche is the champion of privilege, of power, and of inequality. Never was there a deafer, blinder, socially and politically inepter academician..."
This is one of the worst books I've ever read. The tale meanders all over the place as Zarathustra ejaculates ridiculous philosophy for page after page, his followers fawning after him with nary a singular thought of their own. Both they and Zarathustra are in awe of Zarathustra's own wisdom and insight, and Nietzsche never lets a page go by without reminding us of his grandiose status. If anybody in the story tries to contradict Zarathustra, he merely laughs at how stupid the person is and ridicules them. This book is, in a nutshell, just a guy trying to make himself look all powerful, knowing, and important while making everyone else look bad. I give this book an epic FAIL!
I believe George Bernard Shaw put it best, when he said the following about this book: "Nietzsche is worse than shocking, he is simply awful...Nietzsche is the champion of privilege, of power, and of inequality. Never was there a deafer, blinder, socially and politically inepter academician..."
This is one of the worst books I've ever read. The tale meanders all over the place as Zarathustra ejaculates ridiculous philosophy for page after page, his followers fawning after him with nary a singular thought of their own. Both they and Zarathustra are in awe of Zarathustra's own wisdom and insight, and Nietzsche never lets a page go by without reminding us of his grandiose status. If anybody in the story tries to contradict Zarathustra, he merely laughs at how stupid the person is and ridicules them. This book is, in a nutshell, just a guy trying to make himself look all powerful, knowing, and important while making everyone else look bad. I give this book an epic FAIL!
challenging
reflective
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
Literally awful. Feel like reading 300 pages of religion bashing, misogynistic comments such as these:
"Everything about a woman is a riddle, and everything about a woman has a single solution: that is, pregnancy."
Of course! Any issue woman face is solely because they're not pregnant. A baby is *totally* the solution.
"Woman is still not capable of friendship: women are still cats, and birds too. Or in the best case, cows."
Of course! Women are compared to cows in regards to breeding. Just livestock.. smh.
I had to read this for class. It was the most religion bashing and sexist book I've read in a while. The majority of the book is a rant of how bad religion is and how bad believers are for "loving their neighbor" since it only "grows vengeance." Everyone is free to practice their religion, and Zarathustra going on a bible-like escapade to push his own ideals (hmmm.. sounds familiar?) That God is dead and we killed him. Not my cup of tea and something I will never read again.
"Everything about a woman is a riddle, and everything about a woman has a single solution: that is, pregnancy."
Of course! Any issue woman face is solely because they're not pregnant. A baby is *totally* the solution.
"Woman is still not capable of friendship: women are still cats, and birds too. Or in the best case, cows."
Of course! Women are compared to cows in regards to breeding. Just livestock.. smh.
I had to read this for class. It was the most religion bashing and sexist book I've read in a while. The majority of the book is a rant of how bad religion is and how bad believers are for "loving their neighbor" since it only "grows vengeance." Everyone is free to practice their religion, and Zarathustra going on a bible-like escapade to push his own ideals (hmmm.. sounds familiar?) That God is dead and we killed him. Not my cup of tea and something I will never read again.
A very difficult book to read, I wish I'd started with some of his other works first.
When I was in college, one of my German professors said that you haven’t really read Nietzsche until you’ve read him in the original German. At that point in my life, my German was the best it ever has been or ever will be, but my ability to understand Nietzsche’s philosophy was even more feeble than it is now so it’s just as well that my attempt to read Zarathustra back then came to a screeching halt a few chapters in. As it is, though I have a couple decades worth of experience under my belt now, have previously read the comparatively simple “Beyond Good and Evil”, listened to a wonderful Great Courses lecture series on Nietzsche, and was reading [b:The Affirmation of Life: Nietzsche on Overcoming Nihilism|94582|The Affirmation of Life Nietzsche on Overcoming Nihilism|Bernard Reginster|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347652686l/94582._SY75_.jpg|91183] by Bernard Reginster at the same time that I was reading Zarathustra, I still had a very difficult time understanding what the mustachioed madman was on about. Knowing that much of the abstruseness of his prose was intentional was admirable and annoying at the same time. He is clearly having fun at the reader’s expense. I read bits and pieces of the German edition whenever I could detect an untranslatable pun behind the English translation and they were usually quite clever. By my professor’s standards, I guess I still haven’t really read Nietzsche, but I got a glimpse of him anyhow. As to his philosophy, I’m too much of a sentimental old hippie to embrace it. Though many of his criticisms of Judeo-Christian morality are compelling, I can’t accept his rejection of compassion and his concept of the Übermensch seems rather silly.