Customer Reviews

In Quest of the Ordinary: Lines of Skepticism and Romanticism

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This book is my first by Cavell, having been referred to him by a good friend, and let me just say that I am stunned by it. The writing is uniquely Cavell's and the arguments of immediate value, but what sets Cavell apart from all other philosophy I have ever read is his subject matter. Cavell takes seriously the quicksilver philosophical issues which intuitively seem the most philosophical yet are hard to pin down. If you have ever had a glimpse of the truth only to have it crushed beneath the weight of a logical argument, ever knew in your heart some ephemeral sense that carried more meaning than the framework of debate seemed to allow, Cavell is for you.

This book is my first by Cavell, having been referred to him by a good friend, and let me just say that I am stunned by it. The writing is uniquely Cavell's and the arguments of immediate value, but what sets Cavell apart from all other philosophy I have ever read is his subject matter. Cavell takes seriously the quicksilver philosophical issues which intuitively seem the most philosophical yet are hard to pin down. If you have ever had a glimpse of the truth only to have it crushed beneath the weight of a logical argument, ever knew in your heart some ephemeral sense that carried more meaning than the framework of debate seemed to allow, Cavell is for you.

After reading 23 torturous pages, I came back to Amazon.com to see who could have recommended this and for what reasons. My mistake; there was no recommendation. I have no doubt that what is being said is brilliant. But I also have no doubt that it is not communicated with clarity. I found the style to be frustrating and ultimately unsatisfying. Had it been in hard cover, I could have at least justified the purchase as a door stop.