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A review by volbet
A Short History of Decay by E.M. Cioran
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
After reading this, I think Monsieur Cioran's reputation as a great pessimist is kinda overrated.
Sure, he writes a venomous pen that channels equal parts Oswald Spengler and Philipp Mainländer, but he does so with an almost Nietzschean sense for the dramatic and tragedy.
Cioran's texts are less of a damnation of degeneracy than it is a wallowing in it.
The entire book consists of short essays and poetic aphorisms, so don't expect long, complicated syllogisms or though-out arguments. But expect Cioran to circumvent the logical part of the brain and speak pure pathos. Cioran won't revolutionize the way you consider Being, history or discourse, but expect his ideas to lodge themselves in you subconscious, tickling your hippocampus every time it's inconvenient.
Sure, he writes a venomous pen that channels equal parts Oswald Spengler and Philipp Mainländer, but he does so with an almost Nietzschean sense for the dramatic and tragedy.
Cioran's texts are less of a damnation of degeneracy than it is a wallowing in it.
The entire book consists of short essays and poetic aphorisms, so don't expect long, complicated syllogisms or though-out arguments. But expect Cioran to circumvent the logical part of the brain and speak pure pathos. Cioran won't revolutionize the way you consider Being, history or discourse, but expect his ideas to lodge themselves in you subconscious, tickling your hippocampus every time it's inconvenient.