Reviews for Nietzsche's Epic of the Soul: Thus Spoke Zarathustra

The average rating for Nietzsche's Epic of the Soul: Thus Spoke Zarathustra based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2021-03-05 00:00:00 Jonathan Dash Seung quotes Alexander Nehamass saying "Despite some efforts to read Zarathustra as a coherent whole, most of Nietzsche's readers will only dip into the book here and there, dazzled by its brilliant parts and passing over the rest in silence." Seung sets out "to remedy this situation by disclosing the thematic unity of Nietzsche's mysterious work." In this he is completely successful. One task he undertakes is to provide a considered reading for each section of Zarathustra. To this end he frequently reviews alternative readings by respected sources (he can be scathing!), finds supporting material in other Nietzsche writings and where appropriate enters into quite lengthy and very informative digressions. Underpinning this work Seung insists on respecting the integrity and structure of the work as an artistic creation, refuting every suggestion that it lacks coherence. He sees Zarathustra as an ambitious psychological journey in a tradition that includes Dante's Divine Comedy, Buchan's Pilgrim's Progress, Wagner's Ring cycle. In the process, Zarathustra adopts postures and even very strident opinions which buckle and change with experience as the journey proceeds. Each section, therefore, must be interpreted not only as a philosophical discussion in its own right (and some invite very deep discussion on their own) but also as one that must be understood within its very well defined context in the evolving narrative structure; provisional and subject to change, even refutation. Seung does more than make this difficult narrative accessible. In the process, he also facilitates a stimulating exploration of the philosophical problems which Nietzsche wished to investigate by means of this literary device. He proves an excellent guide to the philosophy itself and to the cultural allusions and references that are scattered throughout. Seung is also a terrific teacher: he writes clearly, succinctly and is never obscure.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-05-28 00:00:00 FREDDIE Bradley Simple this is a Beathtaking book !!!!! It is more than a masterpiece !!!!!!!