Friedrich Nietzsche (Hardcover)

The Selected Letters by Friedrich Nietzsche £25.46

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Review
For the nonspecialist and philosophical adept as well: an accessible, anecdotally rich life of the "trenchant idealist" who turned philosophical idealism upside-down. Nietzsche's life (1844-1900) offers one of the great moments of philosophy, a cry of the wounded soul: just before suffering a final descent into mental illness in 1889, he happened upon a carter beating a nag in the streets of Genoa and flung his arms around the poor beast, protecting it from further abuse. Cate (Andre Malraux, 1997, etc.) notes that we will probably never know what happened next, inasmuch as the first printed account of the incident appeared a couple of years after the philosopher's death. Just so, much of Nietzsche's life has been the subject of speculation, especially on the matter of whether Nietzsche gave ideological aid and comfort to Nazism: some scholars hold that Nietzsche's evocation of the law-unto-himself "superman" gave Hitler and company certain ideas, whereas others believe that Nietzsche's protofascist sister willfully altered his writings after his death, "bringing out a thick anthology of his hastily jotted but so far unpublished notes under the inflammatory title The Will to Power." It does not help either argument, Cate notes, that Nietzsche himself was a disorderly writer easily capable of being misunderstood; but, he adds, Nietzsche had grounds for his unusual methods of composition and apothegmatic style, for he believed-correctly, as it turned out-that he was doomed to die young and did not have the time to be tidy. Such convictions also rationalize Nietzsche's inability to handle money, his restlessness, and his devotion to the life-celebrating but feather-ruffling habits of the Dionysian personality type, an invention of Nietzsche's that found its most celebrated follower in the composer Richard Wagner. Cate carefully explains the development of Nietzsche's thought from Schopenhauerian acolyte to independent-and unique-thinker, some of whose most powerful work was penned before he was 30. A touch more readable than Ronald Hayman's Nietzsche (1980) and more current than Walter Kaufmann's Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist (1974), both of which Cate complements but does not displace. (Kirkus Reviews)

Product Description
Nietzsche's influence on 20th century thought and action is greater than that of any other philosopher except Hegel. No modern philosopher has been more maligned and misunderstood or more cynically exploited. The wealth and diversity of Nietzsche's essays and aphorisms are understood within the context of his restless life.

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3 Reviews 5 star:    (0) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 2.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   6 of 9 people found the following review helpful: 1.0 out of 5 stars Cate's Nietzsche, 30 April 2003 By A Customer Nietzsche, who despised the mediocre and pedestrian, would have loathed this book. Cate provides a wordy but thin description of the events of Nietzsche's life without having or providing any insight into his exceptional character. He summarises Nietzsche's writings, demonstrating its continuing relevance by references to such events as the death of Princess Diana, but without anywhere indicating why Nietzsche is such a major figure in contemporary thought. In attempting to write a popular biography Cate has produced something bland and unilluminating. There are better books about Nietzsche and better biographies. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   2 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Some niggles, 27 Aug 2006 By  J. Porter "Julian Porter" (UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This review is from: Friedrich Nietzsche (Paperback) This biography is very readable, and is valuable precisely because (despite the other review) it gives one a feel for Nietzsche as a person, rather than just being a biographical sketch, as are most books. However, I have some concerns. First, given that Nietzsche has been claimed for just about every political and philosophical position known to exist, from fascist to communist to sexist to feminist, I feel a more honest biographer would acknowledge this fact and, being aware of it, let us know up front what their prejudice is, which will inform their interpretation. Mr Cate portrays a Nietzsche who is a reactionary conservative who thinks it a great shame we don't all speak Latin and Greek. But is this really Nietzsche, or is it (as I suspect, based on some rather unpleasant comments in the introduction) Mr Cate? We aren't told. Other minor points which made me wonder just how well acquainted with the philosophical and literary world Mr Cate is. It is seldom one sees Lord Byron described as Scottish. It took me some while to work out that when Mr Cate wrote of Plato's 'Dinner Party' he meant the 'Symposium'. Similarly, Hesiod's great work is 'Works and Days', not (as Mr Cate has it) 'the Days'. Bracketing Shakespeare and Racine together in one literary pigeon-hold is inept. Oh yes, and a history of philosophy which raises Hegel on high and mentions Locke and Hume only in passing is so eccentric as to beggar belief. Putting all this together, one gets the feel of an author who doesn't really know his subject. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   2 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, 26 Jul 2005 By  "matthew_wilson04" - See all my reviews This review is from: Friedrich Nietzsche (Paperback) This book promises a great deal. It is written by a highly intelligent man who knows his subject, and who can write well. The introduction and the first couple of chapters appear to fulfil that promise. However, about mid-way through the book, if not long before, the reader comes to a realisation: this book is not much more than a glorified diary and travelog. Why? Because despite having a deep understanding of one of the most profound thinkers in humanity's history Curtis Cate manages to fill his book with the everyday details and vexations of a peripatetic philosopher's life. His relationships, his thoughts and his whereabouts are covered in detail, but in unsatisfying detail: the journeys and problems of accomodation and difficulties with a publisher receive 6 pages to the philosophy's one. There is one thing a book about Nietzsche never be, that is boring. (He never is.) But despite having the potential to be the best biography available about Nietzsche the author fails to provide us with the gold standard he so tantalisingly dangles in front of us, at times. Worth a look if you have an ardent interest in Nietzsche; if you are unacquainted with him don't read this book, read the man himself. A missed opportunity. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 3 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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