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Rating: 
Summary: Exhausting the Possibilites
Review: I have to admit that it took me quite a while to get through this one, even though I'm a huge fan of Cioran. This is one of his first books and as he says in Admirations.. he was inspired at this point by Shakespeare and Shelley. The language is dense poetry-prose, really beautiful but it requires your complete concentration like a book of poetry does. I prefer his later, more relaxed and slyly cynical essays and aphormisms but any admirer of philosophy and poetry-prose should take it on.
Rating: 
Summary: Growing up the hard way
Review: It's a cliche to say this, of course, but nothing else will do. Cioran is an author that you either like, or you don't. If you do like him, and he doesn't make it easy, you find that in no time he becomes your favorite author...This is one of his earliest books, and one of his best. If you are really interested in post-modern philosophy, art theories, social theories, etc., but find most of what you read precious, posed, downright incomprehensible, or all three, read Cioran. Reading his work, whether you like him or not, agree with him or not, has about the same effect on your thinking as listening to Bach does on your music appreciation. To the extent that you "get" the master, you improve your ability to sort out the useful and original from the bizarre garbage which poses as useful and original. A must read for anyone who wants to think rather than philosophize.
Rating:
Summary: Growing up the hard way
Review: It's a cliche to say this, of course, but nothing else will do. Cioran is an author that you either like, or you don't. If you do like him, and he doesn't make it easy, you find that in no time he becomes your favorite author... This is one of his earliest books, and one of his best. If you are really interested in post-modern philosophy, art theories, social theories, etc., but find most of what you read precious, posed, downright incomprehensible, or all three, read Cioran. Reading his work, whether you like him or not, agree with him or not, has about the same effect on your thinking as listening to Bach does on your music appreciation. To the extent that you "get" the master, you improve your ability to sort out the useful and original from the bizarre garbage which poses as useful and original. A must read for anyone who wants to think rather than philosophize.
Rating:
Summary: oh dear....
Review: this book changed my teenager life in quite a drastic way, and i wouldnt call it a positive way. if you can distance yourself from the fundamental ideas in Cioran's book (for example, life's a miserable meaningless empty useless joke of a sad/sadistic god), and admire the style of his prose/poetry, as the others put it, then you're safe. more than safe, you're discovering a different level of 'philosophy' that leaves a bittersweet taste in your mouth.
but if you choose to listen to Cioran and "open your eyes" (as another reviewer put it), you should be very careful, it's hard to live with the above uttered idea. and i tell u that from personal experience ;) it's an amazing book, but poisonous.
be careful ;)
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