Customer Reviews

Hammer of the Gods

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1 star:		(3)

 

 

This "edition" is the equivalent of a K-tel record collection greatest radio hits: a SELECTION of bits and pieces ("radio-edit" versions) rearranged topically into a collection that never existed before, and for good reason.To begin with, a topical organization is entirely antithetical to Nietzsche's thinking: Nietzsche, perhaps more than any other western philosopher was a thinker of contexts, of nuances, and contradictions. To take fragments out of context is almost necessarily to misunderstand him (and these topics are entirely the editor's invention, NOT Nitezsche's, and not even coming necessarily from the interests Nietzsche shows in his work). (...)If I haven't made myself clear yet, DO NOT READ THIS SCRAPBOOK of Nietzsche's aphorisms, ESPECIALLY AS AN INTRODUCTION to Nietzsche's philosophy.

This book has certanly nothing of the "essential" Nietzsche. Nothing but lines taken out of context. Doesn't mean a thing.

This book of supposed Nietzsche work is not very true to how Nietzsche felt, and how he actually wrote. I would not recomend this selection to those unfamilar with Nietzsche, if your just starting with Nietzsche try Beyond Good and Evil, or The Will to Power.

Any selection of a writer's work will necessarily contain the author's 'greatest hits,' 'fragements' and 'snippets' taken out of context, and it will be aimed at readers who know little or nothing of that writer's work - the point here is that Nietzsche's system (yes, he was a systematic thinker!)is built up monadologically from these fragments. What is being assembled here are little histories of Nietzsche's central concepts (Heidegger is being followed here in that these are presented as the death of god, the Ubermensch, the will to power, and the eternal return) - following each concept from its earliest appearance to its final consummation in his final notebooks, maybe a little incautiously avoiding N.'s 'boring' passages in favour of those of maximum intensity. If you'd prefer to be bored, Walter Kaufmann's translations are far more readily available - where you can see Nietzsche reduced to a bourgeois post-Christian 'wise man,' a kind of harmless German Emerson. If you want to find out exactly how N fits into the European nihilist / anti-humanist / atheological tradition, this selection will suggest a course for further reading -preferably in the German original, where you will find that N really did write this simply and clearly.

K-tel / radio friendly version? - Mein Gott, they must play Burzum and Emperor where one of the earlier reviewers lives. I'm moving there!

A fairly good book, but more akin to a study guide like Cliff's notes. It has a lot of various little snippetts from different works. This book would be perfect for someone wanting a taste of Nietzches philosophy, or as a refference. I enjoyed the book a nice light read.

Can't see how this has much to do with criminal insanity or the apocalypse, but the title will be sure to attract plenty of alienated teenage misantrhopes, and since this gives a very clear and comprehensive overview of Nietzsche's philosophy, no harm done. This book juxtaposes snippets of text from most of his work and arranges them by their subject. No indifferent writing is included, so what you get is a very condensed and very potent display of Nietzsche's still profoundly revolutionary philosophy

This has the best qoutations from all of Nietzsches works. It is an excellent book for anyone whom wishes to become acqiaunted with an overview of his work. The qoutations and wording are easily understood by both student of Philosophy and the casual reader. This new translation is the most inspiring I have yet to read and brings Nietzches true vibrant idealism and philosophy to life. You will not be dissapointed. Towards this end, the book lends itself to true philosophical brillance, and you will find Nietzsche as a philosopher with a hammer.

For anyone unfamiliar with the works of Nietzche, this volume provides an adequate understanding of who he was and what he thought. Grouping by subject makes it more accessible than reading some of his separate works, and while I'm not an expert in German, I felt that the translation was excellent.

There is nothing more fascinating than reading Nietzsche. This book has excellent snippets of his work; however, I would probably recommend forcing yourself through the entire Beyond Good and Evil first.

Question: Is there any complete edition of Nieztsche's poetry?