The Nietzsche Reader (Blackwell Readers) [Paperback]

Keith Ansell Pearson (Editor), Duncan Large (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0631226540 | ISBN-13: 978-0631226543 | Publication Date: February 14, 2006

The Nietzsche Reader brings together in one volume substantial selections from the entire body of Nietzsche’s writings, together with illuminating commentary on Nietzsche’s life and importance, and introductions to his major works and philosophical ideas.

• Includes selections from all the major texts, including The Birth of Tragedy, The Gay Science, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Beyond Good and Evil, The Anti-Christ, and Ecce Homo

• Offers new translations of key pieces from Nietzsche’s unpublished “Lenzer Heide” notebook

• Provides a wealth of pedagogical features, such as editorial sections on Nietzsche’s life and importance, an opening introduction to his philosophical ideas, introductions to each major section, and a comprehensive guide to further reading

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Intended to introduce students to Nietzsche’s writings, the Reader is of considerable value. It includes comprehensive selections from Nietzsche’s early, middle and late writings in English. The chronological presentation of the selections is particularly useful in helping students to appreciate Nietzsche’s philosophical development." International Journal of Philosophical Studies

“The Nietzsche Reader offers an extremely comprehensive collection of Nietzsche’s philosophical writings, ranging from his youthful essays on fate to the pithy, epochal books written in the twilight of his sanity. Perfect for classroom use, in any number of courses across a variety of academic disciplines.” Daniel W. Conway, The Pennsylvania State University

“Thorough yet manageable, this Reader is an excellent introduction to Nietzsche. The editors’ balanced commentary is accessible to the novice while still engaging for scholars. This book is a great contribution to Nietzsche studies.” Kathleen Higgins, University of Texas Austin

From the Back Cover

Nietzsche’s impact on modern thought cannot be overstated. Generations have been influenced by this controversial and exciting thinker whose work nourishes academic fields as diverse as philosophy, literary studies, and political theory. This collection brings together in one volume substantial selections from Nietzsche’s complete oeuvre, including some never before published in book form in English. It also contains impressive pedagogical features, including editorial sections on Nietzsche’s life and importance, an introduction to his philosophical ideas, introductions to each major section of writings, and a comprehensive guide to further reading.

Not only does the Reader generously excerpt all of Nietzsche’s major texts, it also showcases selections from his lesser-known writings, including his early critique “On Schopenhauer,” Philosophy in the Tragic Age of the Greeks, and the seminal essay “On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense.” In addition, there are new translations of key pieces from Nietzsche’s unpublished notebooks of the 1880s, including the first sketch of the doctrine of eternal recurrence, and the “Lenzer Heide” text on European nihilism.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 574 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell (February 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631226540
• ISBN-13: 978-0631226543
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Language Nonfiction > German

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Terrific Way To Get To Know Nietzsche, June 27, 2006

By 

Ariadne (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Nietzsche Reader (Blackwell Readers) (Paperback)

This reader is an astonishing achievement. There is simply no other single text that can provide such great appreciation for the development of Nietzsche's thought and the breadth of his ideas. This text can be used easily by a person looking to choose to read a first full book by Nietzsche, and it provides reliable guidance for the reader seeking to progress through Nietzsche's corpus. The book could work easily in a college course on Nietzsche, supplemented by one or more complete works. The bibliography is superb, and the introductory materials are intelligent, balanced in their approach, and helpful. Even the specialist stands to gain something from careful review of the selections so as to more fully appreciate the challenging editorial decisions that produced this terrific book. For example, this book--more than any other reader, and more than any single book written by Nietzsche--allows one to see how the idea of eternal recurrence emerged and acquired greater significance in his writings. It is an outstanding value both economically and intellectually.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Powerful Road-Map to the Nietzschean Minefield, July 28, 2006

By 

Timothy A. Linnemann (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Nietzsche Reader (Blackwell Readers) (Paperback)

People who study Nietzsche seriously will tell you that Nietzsche is one of the hardest philosophers to interpret. In many places he gives off the feeling that he actually does have a grand and epic master system that all of his philosophic efforts are aimed at - and in some places this sentiment comes straight from his own pen. [Nietzsche's retrospective work 'Ecce Homo' is a good place to look for these hints] However, much more of the time Nietzsche's writings taken together look contradictory, hypocritical, even confused. Deciding how to balence one's interpretation of Nietzsche while respecting each of these considerations is a weighty challenge.

The biggest strength of Pearson's and Large's new complilation is, in my opinion, the respect they reveal for this basic roadblock to understanding Nietzsche in the selections they have chosen. The selections allow for even a novice reader to find and explore the connections and through-lines that do exist within the entire canon of Nietzsche's writings (published, unpublished, and early, middle and latter periods of Nietsche's philosophic career) while still bringing out the main points of contention that serve to challenge those connections.

There are two common forms of misunderstandings regarding Nietzsche's views and positions: the first is quick dismissal based on only superficial contradictions, the second occurs when one projects onto Nietzsche views he does not advocate for the sake of unity and consistancy. This 'Reader' presents Nietzsche in such a way that encourages the avoidance of either of these two extremes, and as such is an ideal choice for students who have gotten a little taste of Nietzsche's thought and are eager to explore his range more seriously. The Introductions to the sections are full of useful historical information and the intrepretive hints Pearson and Large offer are clear enough to be accessible while at the same time pointed enough to be provoking. If you are a serious student of Nietzsche you're probably more interested in buying the complete versions of his works, but if you are new to Nietzsche, the richness and breadth of this compilation is probably the best place on the market to dive in and get your bearings (especially for the price!).

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best new Nietzsche readings, January 5, 2006

By 

M. Benson "mtbenson" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Nietzsche Reader (Blackwell Readers) (Paperback)

This text is as good as it gets as far as Nietzsche readings go. No other volumes on him have been updated recently, and this one is very accessible. Highly recommended for all levels of interest.