Customer Reviews

Nietzsche in Turin: An Intimate Biography

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Nietzsche's writings have been interpreted, misinterpreted, translated, mistranslated and mutated to serve many individual interests - from the evils of the Third Reich to the man's only sister, 'editing' his work to suit her personal, social and political gains. Like Freud, Nietzsche has been used and abused as a platform in the creation of 'new' philosophies, some citing his work as inspiration, while others, in a fit of intellectual dishonesty, claim his ideas as their own. It has been said many times that he is the most misunderstood philosopher of the modern age. From my readings and experience, this claim is not far from the truth. This brilliant book, however, in a single brush of elegance and heart, re-examines Fredric Nietzsche and his work in a gentle, unpretentious though concise way, and attempts to introduce or re-introduce readers to this intriguing, inspiring and highly complex mind.

Chamberlain writes with passion and intuitive insight about the last sane year of Nietzsche's life while he lived and worked in the beautiful city of Turin. This was more than any other a happy and productive time in the professor's life. This is much more than a biographical narrative, but a brave exploration by Chamberlain into the sights, sounds, thoughts and relationships of this fragile though contradictory philosopher. This book is not so much a cerebral approach to the man and his thought, but an emotional, visceral appraisal of a unique thinker striving to understand the human condition.

Of the many biographical narratives about Nietzsche's descent into madness, Chamberlain is the most sensitive without the sentimentalism or coldness similar to the many other descriptions I've encountered. It strikes at the heart with precision and leaves a lasting impression.

If you are a philosopher or merely interested in a unique approach to telling the story of a thinker who has shaped modern philosophy in the twentieth and twenty-first century, read this text. It will be well worth the time, money and effort.

lesley chamberlain, a traveler, food critic, and philosopher, is admirably equipped to write about a man who was also those things. we see turin almost through nietzsche's eyes, the hotels, bookstores,theaters and grocery stores, the weather and even the predominant colors. we see the overman himself getting lost on trains, smiling at comic operettas, and surviving on sausages mailed to him by mom. we also see the working philosoher in his final productive year, reaching a crescendo of creativity at the same time he struggles to evade syphlitic madness. chamberlain has an eye out for his weak points: are his books mad, was he a proto-nazi and an anti-semite? chamberlain suggests that war and the military, of which nietzsche had personal experience, were frequent metaphors for him, and can lead to misunderstanding when nietzsche's style turned as heated and shrill as at last it did. a book full of color, thought, ompassion, and not a little criticism, too.

To the comment that this book suffers because it's not a sufficient introduction to Nietzsche's philosophy I must put in here that the book was just as obviously not intended to do so. I loved it as a beautiful exception to the normally stultifying, over-researched and over-analyzed books that are supposed to be about N., but wind up being more about their authors. This one takes you on a journey to the settings of N's last productive year, extrapolates both from his writing/letters and the memoirs of those who knew him into reasonable possibilities for how his work grew out of the way he lived. The author clearly loves her subject and just as clearly makes no lofty claims for her interpretations. In the end I was quite moved by the whole thing. A wonderful book.

Chamberlain does a good job of painting a picture of Nietzsche's harrowed yet sublime life. However, the work makes obvious the fact that she is NOT an expert in his philosophy. It is a decent, playful exploration of Nietzsche, but surely not a serious introduction to his thought or its internal evolution.

Lesley Chamberlain does an excellent job describing Nietzsche's discovery of Turin. I particularly enjoyed her approach to writing this biography: trying to become a friend of Nietzsche, going to the places he loved, describing how his surroundings and lifestyle influenced his thoughts and works. It makes me wonder why some other biographers don't go through the same exercise. This biography is fluent in style, easy to follow, yet substantial in information. Lesley Chamberlain does not just describe the professor's life, but offers interpretations of his writings that he completed in Turin. The author always makes it clear where she describes her own interpretations. The more inquisitive reader will find the supporting evidence included in the endnotes extremely helpful. Overall, this biography is well researched and nicely written.

The book does not claim to be an introduction to Nietzsche's philosophy. It is important to remember that Nietzsche said there "are no philosophies, only philosophers." Chamberlain does an excellent job of describing the last year of Nietzsche's life, from the cheerful moments to the most painful. It helps all those studying Nietzsche to know more about the life of the great man.

I have to begin this review by saying that after sporadically reading Nietzsche over the last fifteen years, I still consider myself an amateur philosopher. Like most that appreciate his work, I have recognized the impact that his pen has had in my life. Still with that said, I lack the experience or ability to compare and contrast him with other philosophers, ideologies or viewpoints. I do believe that Nietzsche left the world a very human energy, a connection if you will that flows through his many words right into the hearts of those who feel they understand him the most.

This is the first biography of Nietzsche that I've read that seemed to capture the essence of a very human man. Chamberlain's account is warm, sensitive and wonderfully written. To me, it depicted a brilliant man whose philosophies were all encompassing, not limited to classical thought and who battled disappointment, brilliance and physical handicaps.

As a layman, who has admired Nietzsche for many years, I recommend this book to those who are interested in learning more about a wonderful and often misunderstood philospher.

Lesley Chamberlain redefines Nietzschean scholarship. This is a breakthrough work that I very much doubt will see any scholars follow after soon. In one fell swoop she has left behind the stale, dry academicians and given Nietzsche heart, mind, soul and breath. We come to know Nietzsche through her feeling, piercing, brilliant gaze. It is one of the most intelligent, brilliant works of its kind that I've ever read. It is Nietzsche unmasked, Nietzsche revealed, Nietzsche understood in a way that others only dreamed of accomplishing.

Lesley Chamberlain is a supremely talented thinker, and writer, who has written a definitive masterpiece for understanding Nietzsche.

I bought this book expecting a discussion of Nietzsche's day to day life in Turin in 1888 while writing three of his most important books. I wanted some insight into his actual life; stuff I couldn't get elsewhere. The first few dozen pages are like that, and they are very satisfying. Then, unfortunately, the book descends into a very long, very tedious discussion of Nietzsche's relationship with Wagner, his love of Wagner's music, and more half-baked theories about music's role as an existentialistically transcendent phenomenon than I could count. Really disappointing, although there are a few gems scattered throughout. It was a chore to get through, and I was expecting it, as I live and breathe Nietzsche, to be a delight.

Chamberlain lets us see Nietzsche with a personal side. As an immortal, I see a very inside depthness to Nietzsche, a mortal with dark sided problems. It is a very good glimpse at Nietzsche's latter life in Turin though some important wonderings are left out.