Thus Spoke Zarathustra
by Friedrich Nietzsche
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Read in April, 2008
recommends it for:
Anyone who feels they should read Nietszche but are turned off by his other books
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Read in March, 2007
recommends it for:
Jill
I reread this book periodically. Nietzche's work is often completely misunderstood and misrepresented. He is one of the most reviled thinkers in the western philosophical pantheon. Some of this comes from Nietzche himself who went bonkers toward the end of his short life (it was a brain tumor actually and not syphllis as many believe) and some of it comes from the Nazi perverts who did not apprhend his concept of the uberman and used his ideas to justify some of their more perverted ideas.
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Read in January, 1980
recommends it for:
All and None
This work from a terribly lonely and immensely spiritual genius changed my weltanschaung (world-view loosely translated from German). It made me choose German as my language of choice at the Defense Language Institute while I was in the Army. Why? Because I had to read this book in its native language - without horrific translations like "Superman" for uber man. The Walter Kaufman translation from Penguin is a MUST. Kaufman was himself a brilliant writer and a sublime translator. He ge...more
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Read in May, 2003
recommends it for:
none and all
I learned about eternal recurrence, that big wheel of life that repeats itself again and again and again. I recently edited this concept to suggest that life is a giant fuzzy hoop that is constantly vibrating. It was within minutes of meeting Elise’s friend Samer that I came to this realization; he, rather, saw life as a ski slope with a tiny pendulum at the tip. True or false: Nietzsche infected himself with syphilis to attain supreme enlightenment and collapsed on a street corner hugging ...more
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I feel the need to disclaim though Nietzsche appears to be the hipster philosopher of choice, I do not include him here for that reason. Close inspection, which must evade said hipsters, reveals he was somewhat of a dick, and a lot of an elitist. Nevertheless, Zarathustra holds up as a work of literature, philosophy aside. Unfairly, however, I have to give him a pass on the narrative style. Though I generally dislike 3rd person omniscient, this is as much a work of philosophy as literature, and ...more
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Read in January, 2005
I found the book worthwhile to read, if for no other reason than to hear in his own words what he said. The book is non-technical, so lay readers can pick up on his philosophical observations.
However, nothing can save the translation from German to any other language, and the text is just too dependent upon the original language. I got the feeling of having missed many allegories, metaphors and satire throughout the book. German culture itself doesn't translate well to English, either.
...more
However, nothing can save the translation from German to any other language, and the text is just too dependent upon the original language. I got the feeling of having missed many allegories, metaphors and satire throughout the book. German culture itself doesn't translate well to English, either.
...more
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F.N.: du großer Geist... I've never had pets, but I understand why people love pets so much. Unwearying love, a constant presence, unconditional companionship. And though you are long dead, you are a similar presence in my soul... Our forms, carved from the primordial marble of aeons, quite matching. A whisper between my thoughts. Stretching through my cells, exhaling the songs of galaxies. In mine solitude, you greet me warmly. For one is never truly alone. A soothing voice in those ti...more
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Read in July, 2007
When you walk a tightrope expect to fall. When you are dragging dead bodies through a forest, drop them, and seek out a living community. Learn to meditate like a cow digests food. The overman is not a superior race. Hitler was way off and Nietzsche's sister (Anna Forrester) is an eternally damned flippin b-i-t-c-h for whoring this work to the Nazis. I will never buy the eternal return, but do prefer it to Judeo-Christian-Islamic teleology. There is much more to be said about this fantastic trea...more
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recommends it for:
religious types.
So listen up smartypants, I've enjoyed most of the book, I will definitely read it again (and possibly again) in order to catch all the meanings. I enjoyed the ironic take on plato's cave. Nietzsche certainly brings out the bastard out of me. The Eagle/Snake pride with my wisdom passage was difficult to grasp, specially using my 3am brain. The book examines form/funcion, virtues, etc. Yea, don't come around me bragging about how nice you are & the nice things you do. thus spoke zarathustra....more
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گیرم که در کار بزرگی ناکام شدید آیابدین معنی است که شما خود ناکامان اید؟ وگیرم که شما ناکام اید آیا انسان ناکام است؟ وگیرم که انسان ناکام است باری چه باک!
پرتگاه هولناک است نه بلندی.آنجا که چشم به پایین می نگردودست در بالا چنگ میزند.این دوگانگی است که باعث سرگیجه وهراس است.
پرتگاه هولناک است نه بلندی.آنجا که چشم به پایین می نگردودست در بالا چنگ میزند.این دوگانگی است که باعث سرگیجه وهراس است.
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This is sort of like Khalil Gibran's "The Prophet" for Goths and kids that tend to gloom. That is, it sounds nice but there is much less actually there than meets the eye. On the other hand, for a German Nietzsche writes clear, short sentences which can be pretty enjoyable to read if one can get past the fact that all in all he's a pretty ridiculous little man who could have solved a lot of his problems with a good wank. Yes, soemtimes life really is that simple.
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Read in January, 2008
recommended to Eric by:
Nobodyrecommends it for: Poetry Lovers
God, maybe I'm just getting old and impatient. But the unrelenting underlying bitterness of every single chapter of Zarathustra got pretty old, pretty quick. Walter Kaufmann ocassionally stresses the connection between this book and Beyond Good and Evil - the later being the prose and the former the poetry, so to speak - and I agree. And I love Beyond Good and
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This book will teach you how to not have any friends, or maybe why you don't have any already. It is the story of an ubermensch, or overman, which is a person who not only sees but also points out the numerous fallacies and myths by which most of us structure our lives. Every society has its ubermensch: some funny, some intolerable, but all of which need a friend despite what they tell you.
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Supposedly this is Nietzsche's "odd" book, the one he had to "get out of his system" before he could settle in to write the important stuff. Well I could care less about the important stuff. I loved this book for all of the reasons it is considered one of his "lesser" works, it's hyperbole and excess and exaltation. So there. And no, I'm not a facist and you're an idiot for thinking that.
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Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
None and All
I had heard that no one does philosophy like old Nietzsche. True indeed. A complex and confusing book at times. Sometimes it was poetry, or short storyish, full of maxims, speeches, etc. And somehow it's supposed to be philosophy. The book is a treasure chest of ideas that touch on all aspects of life. And it is full of humour--if you can get along w/ Nietz.'s humour.
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Ouch! God is dead, and look out for the overman! I consider this book to almost be more of an artistic statement than a work of high philosophy, but regardless, Nietzsche's deep insights and acerbic wit lend itself to giving the reader a sense of outrage and inquisitive purpose necessary, in my mind, for leading a truly enlightened life. Check it out, its mindblowing.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
recommends it for:
the free and the mad ones.
“Do you call yourself free? I want to hear your ruling idea, and not that you have escaped from a yoke. . . . Free from what? Zarathustra does not care about that! But your eye should clearly tell me: free for what?”
this is a frightful, powerful book that i turn to in my times of littleness and doubt, when i have become "something that should be overcome."
this is a frightful, powerful book that i turn to in my times of littleness and doubt, when i have become "something that should be overcome."
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Read in February, 2008
The one thing I can say about this book is that the philosophy is quite unique. The book is quite lengthy for the message that it is portraying. I much prefer Eastern philosophy which can distill life lessons into a few beautiful verses. The one saving grace is that there are some salient passages that are passionately written.
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I need to re-read this. It's hard to understand Nietzsche when you've already been well-fed on a diet of his followers by the time you're introduced to him. I only have an inkling of the way in which he was a revolutionary thinker, because I didn't come to him from a reflexive or critically articulated metaphysical framework.
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Read in January, 2007
Zarathustra is a good place for anyone interested in the works of Nietzsche or Existentialism in general to begin. While its literary style may make it a great deal more difficult than Beyond Good and Evil, the other foundation work of Nietzschean philosophy, the transator's note by Walter Kaufmann greatly ease this burden.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 3.99 (2412 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 3.70 (30 ratings) number of reviews: 173popular shelves
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"Man muß noch Kaos in sich haben um einen tanzenden Stern gebären zu können"
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