In Either/Or, using the voices of two characters - the aesthetic young man of part one, called simply 'A', and the ethical Judge Vilhelm of the second section - Kierkegaard reflects upon the search for a meaningful existence, contemplating subjects as diverse as Mozart, drama, boredom, and, in the famous Seducer's Diary, the cynical seduction and ultimate rejection of a young, beautiful woman. A masterpiece of duality, Either/Or is a brilliant exploration of the conflict between the aesthetic and the ethical - both meditating ironically and seductively upon Epicurean pleasures, and eloquently expounding the noble virtues of a morally upstanding life.
Either/Or: A Fragment of Life (Penguin Classics)
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Kierkegaard (1813-55) was born in Copenhagen, the youngest of seven children. His childhood was unhappy, clouded by the religious fervour of his father, and the death of his mother, his sisters and two brothers. Educated at the School of Civic Virtue, he went on study theology, liberal arts and science at university, gaining a reputation for his academic brilliance and extravagant social life. He began to criticize Christianity, and in 1841 broke off his engagement to concentrate on his writing. Over the next ten years he produced a flood of works, in particular twelve major philosophical essays, many written under noms de plume. By the end of his life he had become an object of public ridicule, but he is now enjoying increasing acclaim.
Alastair Hannay was educated at the Edinburgh Academy, the University of Edinburgh and University College London. In 1961 he became a resident of Norway and is now Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oslo.
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PERHAPS it has sometimes occurred to you, dear reader, to doubt the correctness of the familiar philosophical proposition that the outward is the inward, the inward the outward. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
PERHAPS it has sometimes occurred to you, dear reader, to doubt the correctness of the familiar philosophical proposition that the outward is the inward, the inward the outward. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
40 of 41 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Why on earth Penguin published a translation that omits the essay "First Love" is beyond my comprehension. Large parts of the first essay of Part 2 ("The Aesthetic Validity of Marriage") make no sense without it.
Kierkegaard is notoriously difficult to read and even more difficult to translate. Accomplishing any translation is an heroic job and I take my hat off to Alastair Hannay's achievement. That said, I am utterly baffled by the brevity of his translator's note (about half a page at the very beginning). In it he explains what has been omitted but says nothing about his approach to the translation. Presumably it is a deliberate choice to reflect Kierkegaard's complicated sentence structures, but he ought at least to point out to the reader that his is a close translation rather than a rendition in modern idiom. In philosophy knowing what kind of translation has been attempted is as important to the reader as what the text actually says.
IMO the only thing going for this edition is that it is cheaper than others.
Kierkegaard is notoriously difficult to read and even more difficult to translate. Accomplishing any translation is an heroic job and I take my hat off to Alastair Hannay's achievement. That said, I am utterly baffled by the brevity of his translator's note (about half a page at the very beginning). In it he explains what has been omitted but says nothing about his approach to the translation. Presumably it is a deliberate choice to reflect Kierkegaard's complicated sentence structures, but he ought at least to point out to the reader that his is a close translation rather than a rendition in modern idiom. In philosophy knowing what kind of translation has been attempted is as important to the reader as what the text actually says.
IMO the only thing going for this edition is that it is cheaper than others.
111 of 117 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This is an abridged edition which features frequent cuts from both Part I and Part II, and omits "The First Love" (Part One) entirely.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars
13 reviews
72 of 78 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
challenging, but well worth the effort
24 Jun 2000
By A Customer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
for the most part, it goes without saying that pure philosophy texts make for difficult reading. To a great extent, kierkegaard is no exception. However, I would highly recommend this book for anyone struggling with questions of faith, particularly those involving the relationship between god and man. For me, the most valuable part of the book was the author's clear conflict and passion for the issues. It seemed to me that he was not trying to write as some great philosopher-king trying to bring light to the poor suffering masses, but as a sincerely conflicted human being, down in the trenches with the rest of us, just trying to understand what it all means. In short, although the style may be a little hard to wade through at times, it is a thouroughly thought-provoking and insightful book.
58 of 62 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Abridged, with no warning on the front
6 July 2007
By Clinton Ebadi
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
I mistakenly purchased this without noticing it was abridged. It seems dishonest to only mark this on the back but not the front of the text.
46 of 49 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
lighter translation
3 Oct 2002
By A Customer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
there is a countervailing advantage this edition offers against the princeton volumes even though its abridged... this is a lighter and smoother English translation. English is not my native language, but I believe many American readers would find the Hong translations as tough-going as I did (even if meticulous). Kierkegaard is already very wordy so this translation is a pain reducer.
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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