Product Description

hus Spake Zarathustra is a masterpiece of literature as well as philosophy. It was Nietzsche's own favorite and has proved to be his most popular. In this book he addresses the problem of how to live a fulfilling life in a world without meaning, in the aftermath of "the death of God." His solution lies in the idea of eternal recurrence, which he calls "the highest formula of affirmation that can ever be attained." A successful engagement with this profoundly Dionysian idea enables us to choose clearly among the myriad possibilities that existence offers, and thereby to affirm every moment of our lives with others on this "sacred" earth.
Grahm Parkes's new translation is more accurate than previous versions, and is the first to retain the musicality of the original, by paying attention to the rhythms and cadences of the German. His introduction examines the work's three most important philosophical ideas and for the first time annotates the abundance of allusions to the Bible and other classic texts with which Nietzsche's masterpiece is in conversation.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9566 in Books
• Published on: 1978-03-30
• Original language: German
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

From AudioFile
God is dead, and the superman is nigh! Nietzsche couched this ultimate expression of his philosophy (1883-91), not as a closely reasoned treatise, but as the passionate utterances of an ancient Persian prophet, Zarathustra, couched in a pseudo-biblical German. In this recording, brief glosses introduce sections of the text, while bits of the Strauss tone poem of the same name bridge major transitions. The narrators speak clearly and with comprehension, but they're stuffy; whereas, the book is anything but. Y.R. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Review
, also translated as Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Treatise by Friedrich Nietzsche, written in four parts and published in German between 1883 and 1885 as Also sprach Zarathustra. The work is incomplete, but it is the first thorough statement of Nietzsche's mature philosophy and the masterpiece of his career. It received little attention during his lifetime but its influence since his death has been considerable, in the arts as well as philosophy. Written in the form of a prose narrative, Thus Spake Zarathustra offers the philosophy of its author through the voice of Zarathustra (based on the Persian prophet Zoroaster) who, after years of meditation, has come down from a mountain to offer his wisdom to the world. It is this work in which Nietzsche made his famous (and much misconstrued) statement that "God is dead" and in which he presented some of the most influential and well-known (and likewise misunderstood) ideas of his philosophy, including those of the Ubermensch ("overman" or "superman") and the "will to power." Though this is essentially a work of philosophy, it is also a masterpiece of literature. The book is a combination of prose and poetry, including epigrams, dithyrambs, and parodies as well as sections of pure poetry. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature

Language Notes
Text: English
Original Language: German

Customer Reviews

brilliant and creative mind
I am not educated in philosophy, so I read this book slowly with the help of Sparknotes and ended up really enjoying the book, not only for its philosophy (not all of which I found agreeable, however, tremendously interesting) but also for its creativity, humor and its literary energy and complexity. It is always a treat to read writings of such a brilliant thinker of our time.

Algora pub./T. Wayne trans. edition is best
This is an amazing, but also sometimes amazingly difficult to access, work. It is unfortunate that Kauffman's is the most widely used translation, because his translation is clunky and ponderous. T. Wayne's translation, in contrast, is very lyrical and frequently simply makes more sense. In some places it does appear that Mr. Wayne tries too hard to distinguish his translation from that of Kauffman, meaning his difference in word choice does not improve the work but rather makes it worse. However, to be fair, that is rare and the vast majority of the differences mark a substantial improvement. The most disappointing thing about this edition is that the publishers/editors (Algora) did a pretty sloppy job, so there are a number stupid typographical errors that will hopefully be corrected if Algora ever re-publishes it.

An incredibly misunderstood genius!!
Nietzsche was controversial (and reveled in it), but he was also grossly misunderstood. To pigeonhole his philosophy as simply about glorifying barbaric agresssion does a grave disservice to his quest for uplifting the human soul. Nietzsche was a man who absolutely ABHORRED mediocrity, and dedicated his work into helping man reclaim the "star" that he always potentially possesses, provided he is willing to free himself from the shackles of dogma and conventionality. "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" is Nietzsche's manifesto on how to get there.

The concept of the "last-man" is brilliant, and unbelievably prescient!! This smug. self-satisfied, herd-like man exists today in overwhelming abundance!! The "last-man," to quote Nietzsche "has no shepherd and one herd! Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse." When you look around and see the mindless banal dreck on televison, in newspapers, and throughout society in general, you see the deleterious effects of the contented "last-man" who can no longer have contempt for himself, therefore, he cannot and will not strive to advance himself!!

One may not agree with everything in "Thus Spoke Zarathustra," but it is unquestionably a brilliant work that will open up new vistas of the mind and have you examining man's spiritual condition in an utterly profound way. And Nietzsche's writing style is, at its best, almost lyrical!!