A Nietzsche Reader (Penguin Classics)

Rating:
Summary: Superb introduction to philosophical Nietzsche
Review: A great book to start with Nietzshe. It's very short and those who say it's "not the real thing" are correct, but, this is so by design. I would like to say that the translator/editor of this book, RJ Hollingdale, did a magnificent job, and in his introduction to the "Reader" he mentions precisely that: the goal of this book is not to house all Nietzsche's works but to "entice" the reader to continue--and that goal the editor has achieved flawlessly. The selection of excerpts is very intelligent and helpful in both what is presented and how it is presented. The editor is a Nietzsche specialist and yet he holds himself back--the clear and logical intro is but three pages (rather than half the book of academic showing off), it's directed to the reader and gives a lucid overview of the priciples that guided the editor in compiling the book in this and not in some other way, as well as the best way to approach it. I am so impressed by the role of the editor here that I'm purchasing his own monograph on Nietzsche, I really liked Mr Hollingsdale's writing style and scientific demeanor--concise, lapidary, yet accessible and careful. This book, imo, is a better one for a beginner than a similar book by Kaufmann (not that Kaufmann is bad, in fact it contains more Nietasche, but it is, imo, less targeted, not as sharp as Hollingsdale's take on it.)

Rating:
Summary: primed intelligence
Review: An excellent primer to get you on the path. Filled with insights and forays that should stimulate your interest in digging deeper.

Penguin rocks again.

Rating:
Summary: Whetted my appetite for more
Review: Assigned as a textbook in my 19th century philosophy class, I must admit that this little volume was a pleasure to read - twice. While it may be criticized as a collection of Nietzschean quotable quotes, I was continually fascinated by his insights. It left me wondering if any of the ideas attributed to Freud were actually original, and it confirmed some of my own hard won critiques of contemporary evangelicalism.

Before the class was over I had purchased another half dozen books by this man!

A warning to those considering reading this - you will not receive pages of editorial content. Go elsewhere if you are looking for an interpretation of Nietzsche. Also, you may find this thinker as addictive as I have.