Thus Spake Zarathustra (Dover Thrift Editions: Philosophy)

This is a unique work for Nietzsche; the entire book is written in parable form. I find this work to be extraordinary, because there are so many layers of depth. For example, what does Nietzsche mean by the spirit of gravity? As you're reading you come to find out it is a metaphor for the devil, however, Nietzsche's idea of the devil is not like that written in the biblical scriptures. The devil is the one who supplants Human Nature with a set of so-called values that are the antithesis of natural. And why does he use the term gravity? Without gravity weight is meaningless, but the pious ones must espouse gravity, and teach their ways of gravity, because they believe this is the only thing that creates meaning in life. "Almost in the cradle we are presented with heavy words and values this dowry calls itself good and evil for its sake we are forgiven for being alive." "God is dead... and we have killed him." If morality is based on a foundation of God and we lose our belief in God what will hold our moral system together? This is the the question that Nietzsche attempts to tackle within these pages. The Setting Sun Services us daily without a care at all that we exist. It needs no relationship with us, but yet it makes its daily circuit bringing us life and warmth. "From the Sun, when it goes down, that super abundant star I learned this: then, from inexhaustible riches it pours out gold into the sea so that even the poorest fisherman rows with golden ores. For once I saw this, and did not tire of weeping to see it." Nietzsche wants us to embrace life to the fullest, to say yes to life, to love the Earth, to love reality just as it is. Nietzsche wants us to become the Overman, the Supernan, more moral then we already, but in the absence of God. How can we do take on this seemingly insurmountable task? He seems to conjecture Eternal recurrence as an impetus to become the Overman. Eternal recurrence is living your life over and over again identically for eternity. If you hate life, if you live life immorally, you will have negative consequences. What Nietzsche means by living immorally is an anti-nature life. Life will become a living hell; is that something you want to experience for eternity? a living hell? If you have to live your life over and over again forever the best way to live life then would to become the Overman. There is one catch, you Must Believe In Eternal recurrence, which I don't personally. It is analogous too the concept of Heaven and Hell which many people readily believe so for them perhaps eternal recurrence is a reasonable concept. I have read commentary which complains about contradiction in Nietzsche's work. What appears to the average reader as contradiction I believe is purposefully done. He creates a feedback loop that is much like eternal recurrence. Words are used hyperbolically, symbolically, metaphorically and do not oftentimes carry the same meaning that we would attribute to them. Like a Pious man being the devil, for example, and then having even that meaning extend into a metaphor that wraps around. The framework of this book projects Zarathustra as a type of sage wise man who is teaching people how to live Godless ways in Godless times. It reads like wisdom literature, scripture, and proverbs; oftentimes he starts sentences with, 'He Who is,' 'truly,' or 'one has to.' For example: —"He who has always been very indulgent with himself sickens at last through his own Indulgence." —"Truly I found even the greatest man all too human." —"One has to speak with thunder and Heavenly fireworks to feeble and dormant senses." And proverbs like: —"... blood is the worst witness of truth." —" to throw salt into the sea and statues into the mud are perhaps the greatest of follies." —"They would have to sing better songs to make me believe in the their redeemer: his disciples would have to look more redeemed." —"Life is a fountain of delight but where the rebel also drinks all wells are poisoned." —"Great obligations do not make a man grateful, they make him resentful; and if a small kindness is not forgotten it becomes a gnawing worm." —"This is now my way where is yours? Thus I answered those who asked me 'the way.' For 'the' way —does not exist!" Those who do not like this book are most likely the pious types who are described within its pages. They would prefer proverbs more akin to: "Life is like a box of chocolates." Those who think the book is not deep do not think deeply enough. "let him who has ears behind his ears read and comprehend!"

To start off with, the Walter Kaufmann translation is by now well known to be probably the authoritative edition of Zarathustra (although the excerpts I've read from the Del Caro Cambridge Texts edition seems to be perhaps a more beautiful style). One of the reasons I originally picked up this edition was because the only translations available over the web were the droning and pedantic Thomas Common versions which are not only dull but muddled. Walter Kaufmann's translation gives a degree of clarity that far surpasses the Common translation, cannot speak to all the differences (however large or small) between it and the Del Caro version. The book isn't particularly long, but Nietzsche fills it with metaphors and parables in addition to simple narrative and merriment. This is one of the challenges of the book: you're forced to figure out what is meaningful from what isn't and on top of that what each metaphor means. Nietzsche has never been in the habit of going into intricate detail or clarifying what he's saying to the same degree as some other thinkers, and although the book is a stylistic masterpiece (with narrative deliberately done in a biblical style and herein lies one of the advantages over the Common translation, namely that Common translated everything to mimic the King James version with an overabundance of "thees" "thous" and "ests") the philosophy is at times difficult to comprehend. Again, it's not difficult in the sense that the Critique of Pure Reason is difficult, or at least not nearly to the same degree, it is difficult because it is at times cryptic. Additionally, I've seen a lot of reviews suggesting reading Nietzsche just for the pithy phrases or the beauty of the work. And while the work is indeed a very beautiful piece in places and is often quotable (and even considering Nietzsche was very big into each individual making his own meaning, creating his own path or values), I'd caution you against that approach. Although the book has a strong "make your own way" line of thought, that doesn't preclude understanding the ways of others. I will admit that this is a contender for one of the more difficult books I've ever read (up there with Kant, though Nietzsche's previous and subsequent books are by far easier to understand). I've noticed that numerous readers recommend reading the book a second time. I'd say that might be useful, but it would take someone with either a lot of free time on their hands or someone with a very great degree of insight to grasp the meaning of each part of this work. What I found useful was having read other works by Nietzsche first. Before reading Zarathustra (which I read for the first time when I was 15 at the urging of a friend who was taking political science and philosophy in college) I had already read On the Genealogy of Morality and Human, All Too Human. My recommendation is to read at least one of Nietzsche's other books, preferably a couple. I'd suggest making Beyond Good and Evil one of your choices. By doing this, you will have already been introduced to Nietzschean philosophy and will be able to more readily grasp the symbolism used. Even if you don't choose that approach, you should get the main lines of thought, specifically the eternal recurrence of the same, the overman, and the glorification of struggle, in the work. Either way, this book is a landmark work in the history of philosophy and deserves to be read.

This book was amazing. I was dumbfounded when i realized the format of the book which is more of a story telling. Zarathustra is a prophet of godlessness. He brings word of god's death and promotes living the life fully and happily. It is a great way of criticizing religions' negative impacts on people's lives. how people live their lives in misery merely for living for the idea of afterlife. Obliviously, Nietzsche was inspired by the story of Jesus and in a way this book is sort of satirical you cannot help but smile and at times laugh at the idiotic ways the people live their lives and insist upon living their lives. Zarathustra's search for the higher men and the superman is amazing. You become a superman or higher men if you realize the life is worth of living and you enjoy the life without expectation of a life after and give up childish beliefs of a higher power. Zarathustra manifests how hard it is to find the superman or higher men. People are just not able to accept the fact the god is dead even worse when they try to find a new god to replace the dead god. all of his so called higher men end up worshiping an ass. In the end they see the light and become higher men. This book is work of a genius. The literature is poetic, beautiful and meaningful. I think it is a must read book for intellectuals. Nietzsche's philosophy is admirable, his dislike for religious clergy could not have been told any more eloquently than this way. A magnificent piece of work.

On one hand, this concerns the existence of humanity, which makes it a book for all. On the other, the messenger bears a message people to this day still aren't ready to accept so it is a book for none. You could make an argument Thus Spoke Zarathustra is Nietzsche's seminal work. It is definitely his most approachable of his major works with its humor and story format. Zarathustra gave birth to morality as we know it, so Nietzsche puts the weight of finding how to explain to go beyond it on him (tongue in cheek). What follows is an adventure full of rhythm, humor both backhanded and rather forward, and the occasionally explanation of Nietzsche's deeper beliefs of how we must go beyond the traditional sense of God and good and evil. A fun read that doesn't feel it's length once you get a feel for Nietzsche's voice. As for the print, book was listed as new and the print felt fresh and the condition looked new, so nothing to knock there.

Not a big deal, but watch what formats you buy. For $20 I was expecting a brand new copy, but it didn't say if it was or not so I assumed it was. I'm happy with my copy, but there is writing and underlining. Thankfully, I'm not a collector. It doesn't bother me. As for the book itself, I enjoy Haufmann's translation best. There's something poetic, yet simple, about it: "Of all that is written I love only what man has written with his blood. Write with blood, and you will experience that blood is spirit." "Whoever writes in blood and aphorisms does not want to be read but to be learned by heart." I could not recommend this version more. Many people claim Nietzsche is hard to read and understand, but he's got some thought-provoking ideas and an interesting way of viewing the world.

When Nietzsche wrote Thus Spake Zarathustra he had finished with trying to topple the idols of nineteenth century civilization: the market, the monarchies, academia and the Church had all received the blows of his literary hammer. Now he turns to describing life after the demolition. Arguing that man is just another animal and has no soul, he thought that the laws of science, mathematics and even logic were not eternally binding rules of the universe but simply repetitions recorded by the senses. Thus, he discovers that the Ubermensch must legislate his owns rules for life; just as Zarathustra originally created a vision of the moral universe, this new Zarathustra legislates a law for himself. This is the supreme meaning of the “will to power”—not so much to exert power over others as to create a universe for yourself. I think a helpful analogy is to think of Nietzsche and Monotheism as two paths: Monotheism believes man has a rational soul that can discover moral, logical and scientific rules that are perennially true. Nietzsche thought that each man must create rules that were binding on himself and his particular experience of the universe. Most of us end up borrowing parts of both and accept inconsistency. Nietzsche’s later biography might be read as a warning against this thought. This is fair, but one should also consider that few men have penetrated the consequences of death of the idols as thoroughly as Nietzsche. It hardly needs a recommendation, but I was fascinated by this man’s effort to create and live in a world of his own making. Must reading for those interested in experiments on the human condition.

I remember the first time my eighth grade teacher scratched a list out on the chalkboard of authors we should never read. Who do you suppose topped the list? Why, Fred Neitzsche (we're on first names after all those years). Just to be clear, I went to Catholic school. I doubt there are many secular private or public schools that care enough about what students are reading to worry about banning any authors, let alone something as powerful as Neitzsche. (I presume they're more interested in banning books that refer to nipples, racial name-calling, or popular drugs.) Buy this book now, and buy it in a hard cover edition (like this one). This, contrary to what other reviewers suggest, should be your very first Nietzsche. It is a powerful, allegorical tale that will sweep you in with its powerful tone and ideas. Don't be afraid if you come away confused and unsettled. Just read it again and again. Take it with you everywhere. When you go to class, keep it on your desk in full view. Quote from it all of your school writing projects. The truth is, your gut will tell you the man is right about so many things. You can later worry about how Zarathustra plays upon ideas from classic Greek philosophy, or how silly it is to think that Nietzsche's work led to the racist thinking of Germany's National Socialist movement.

The content and translation was very good. Messages were clear and it was readable in English. Enlightening book.