A review by aeudaimonia
Provocations by Søren Kierkegaard

challenging reflective slow-paced

3.75

Kierkegaard has always been one of my favorites and this book is a great reintroduction to his works and philosophy. Especially good for beginners, as Moore not only selects but abridges Kierkegaard's notoriously difficult style. As much as I love the man himself, this book hovers at a 3.5-3.75 for me, all to do with the editing. The first 200 pages consist of larger (4-5 page) selections, but the latter 200 are mostly aphorisms and extended analogies, closer to 4-5 sentences. Their topical arrangement, on one hand, made for a much more boring, tedious reading experience; on the other, such small selections render it impossible to maintain a dialogue with Kierkegaard as a writer. How can you meaningfully disagree with a page of short quotes that have all been taken out of context? Provocations is great for consuming Kierkegaard, but not for interpreting him. On the bright side I am compelled to return again to his original, complete works.