Unfortunately, I appear to have purchased the last reasonably-priced copy of this lovely book. A modest paperback of slightly less than 250 pp., it includes wonderful reminiscences concerning Wittgenstein, one by his sister, Hermine, one by his Russian teacher, Fania Pascal, one by his famous Cambridge colleague, F. R. Leavis, a brief piece by John King and a nearly 100 pp. piece by M. O' C. Drury, LW's friend and student. There is a postscript by his literary executor Rush Rhees and an introduction by Professor Norman Malcolm.
All of the sections are interesting but the conversations recorded by Drury are truly memorable. They are almost Boswellian in some cases—an interesting fact since LW admired Johnson's PRAYERS AND MEDITATIONS. LW's manner is almost Johnsonian, as is his focus on religion and human psychology.
One learns a great deal from these pieces (though, of course, they have already been digested and utilized by Ray Monk in his superb biography of LW). Among the most interesting are his acknowledgment that he read neither Aristotle nor Hume (with whom he has much in common); the details of his activities in designing his sister's house in Vienna, his observations on Marx, Trotsky and Stalin and, throughout, his views on faith, theology and religion.
LW's writings are, of course, notoriously challenging, but learning of his life helps one to understand his general orientation and, thus, his work.
A very illuminating collection; highly recommended.
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