Customer Reviews

The Good European: Nietzsche's Work Sites in Word and Image

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Although at first glance this book might appear to be simply a "coffee table" book, it actually presents a totally engaging, very personal view of Nietzsche by Krell and Bates. After I recently read various works by Nietzsche, and was somewhat astonished by the heart-on-the-sleeve baring of the soul that characterizes so much of Nietzsche's writing (e.g. Thus Spoke Zarathustra), I found it very interesting to read Mr. Krell's splendid prose as he shares with us highlights of the many journals, notes, and letters that document the inner life of Nietzsche. In particular, the wonderful way that Krell matches up Nietzsche's physical surroundings with the various images and metaphors of his published work provide a tremendous insight into both the meaning and the poetic beauty of Nietzsche's writings. I especially appreciated learning about the internal tension and ambivalence that Nietzsche experienced regarding whether his work would be interpreted as genuine philosophy or merely poetry. This is an excellent book to read from cover to cover as well as to browse.

David Krell and Donald Bates trace the major sites of Nietzsche's productive period, tracing the French and Italian Riviera, Sils Maria, Turin, and the mountains of the Engadine in an attempt to examine the role of space in the creative work of this great philosopher. The book also serves the role of a miniature biography, the authors have done a great deal of research in the primary literature, reproducing a number of letters between friends, family, and colleagues. The book does not attempt to pinpoint the exact influence of landscape on the content of Nietzsche's work per se, still one does get the impression that the atmosphere of these places contributed to the dramatic flare of Nietzsche's style. The photographs are truly beautiful, but one still feels unsatisfied by the lack of analysis of the actual philosophy itself.

A beautiful, inspiring and informative book! I find Krell's erudition and passion for the subject matter beyond challenge; Bates' exquisite photography makes the feast complete. I have also travelled in Nietzsche's footsteps...

just got the expensive book 'The Good European' last night at berkeley's Black Oak bookstore, 55$, phew. great idea for a book, kind of book where you envy the writer all the travelling they got to do in the process of writing it. Ressentiment, get thee behind me! this book is the first time i have seen a picture of the famous 'Zarathustra rock' the pyramid rock where N. was struck with the realization of the eternal return. Just wish it was in color and full-page. The photos are a little awkwardly placed sometimes. Lots of photos of doors. Was this an obsession of N. or the photographer? funny that author Krell does not mention Nietzsche's encounter with the flogged horse as the precipitator of his god-realized-madness though, Krell seems to buy in totally to the syphilis hypothesis. Truly, the west is still so naive re the vagaries and risks of metanoia/spiritual transformation. It really amazes me sometimes how these academic Nietzscheans like Krell and Yalom can completely disregard the insights of Bataille into the epic significance of N.'s 'madness' and its implications for our own illusory collective consensual sanity. oh well. not even a picture of the Piazza Carlo-(something) in Turin, as far as I could see, but might be there, havent read it closely. lots of good stuff in the book though. have always wanted to go on a hike along some of N.'s favorite paths, and this book is the next best thing.