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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
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.
I was so confused until the ass festival when it all made sense
"Great star, he said, as he had said once before, you profound eye of happiness, what would all your happiness be if you did not have those for whom you shine!
"Great star, he said, as he had said once before, you profound eye of happiness, what would all your happiness be if you did not have those for whom you shine!
Thanks to my senior recommended this, but i got dizzy lmao
Interesting book-one of the more difficult books I have read. Follows the path of Zarathustra (a prophet).
His teaching is basically that everything is relative, especially our notions of good and evil. Also that since there is no God and life has no universal meaning (nihilism), individuals have to make meaning for themselves (existentialism). "He who has a why to live can bear almost any how."
Throughout the story, Zarathustra teaches variations of these two ideas with different parables.
While he believes that everything is relative, he stresses the importance of being passionate, rather than being an anchorite or stoic type of person. It is much worse to inhibit the ego than to let it go. "Modesty is submission...Moderation is mediocrity"
Individuality is a common theme throughout the book, and is shown in contrast to society, organized religion, or "the hubbub". (Nietzsche shits on religion a lot)
Nietzsche-Romantic thinker/philosopher that vouches for individuality in every aspect. Glorifies a strong will and a large ego (typical of romanticism)
His teaching is basically that everything is relative, especially our notions of good and evil. Also that since there is no God and life has no universal meaning (nihilism), individuals have to make meaning for themselves (existentialism). "He who has a why to live can bear almost any how."
Throughout the story, Zarathustra teaches variations of these two ideas with different parables.
While he believes that everything is relative, he stresses the importance of being passionate, rather than being an anchorite or stoic type of person. It is much worse to inhibit the ego than to let it go. "Modesty is submission...Moderation is mediocrity"
Individuality is a common theme throughout the book, and is shown in contrast to society, organized religion, or "the hubbub". (Nietzsche shits on religion a lot)
Nietzsche-Romantic thinker/philosopher that vouches for individuality in every aspect. Glorifies a strong will and a large ego (typical of romanticism)