The Life of Friedrich Nietzsche: A Revolutionary Exploration of His Ideas and Impact on Modern Thought

Spike: On a positive note, most readers unfamiliar with Nietzsche, the man and his work, will know more after reading this book. Then, too, the author's breezy, journalistic style makes for a quick, easy read on a beach or a plane. The challenge, however, are inaccuracies. Mt. Pilatus is not where Pontius Pilate went to die; Sacro Monte di Orta is a hill, not a mountain, a few minutes walk from the village. Several German words are mistranslated by the author; none of the books in the bibliography are in German, which raises the question of whether the writer read Nietzsche in the original or any source material about him in the language in which he thought and wrote. The most limiting matter of the book is how the author often repeats the canard that Nietzsche was apolitical. In fact, his amorality is the most damning thing about his work. Of course, he was political: he was deeply aware of the ways his ideas could be used to create and inspire systems based on hatred of so-called inferiors. The thing is: he felt it was worth it because any ideology that replaced and destroyed the old religions was acceptable to him. His tacit acceptance of anti-Semitism, from his publisher to those who...

United States on Jul 24, 2023

Richard L.: There is so much to like about this. I read it because I want to know more about his thought but I got a lot more: ultimately the strength of this book is the story of the tragically unfair irony of his life and legacy. No spoilers but if you are not moved by the closing of this story you need to check your pulse.

I assume the story to be as authentic as any historical biography can be, it is well-researched and told with honesty and compassion. The writer is not afraid to expose some uncomfortable truths of the hero but ultimately there is more to love about Nietzsche than to question. Clearly, a flawed genius who was difficult to understand, his extreme arrogance was often laced with self-deprecating humour, his thoughts were frequently left incomplete so the reader is left to draw their own conclusions rather than receive the ready-made wisdoms other philosophers are keen to hand to their disciplines.

I wanted a textbook on Nietzsche the thinker but I am so glad I read a book that is more about the person than his thoughts. This has probably given me a better understanding of the man's thinking by giving me a better understanding of the man than a mere text book...

United Kingdom on Mar 13, 2023

Kindle Customer: This book is crisp and well written. It threw new light on Nietzsche’s life. Unfortunately it did almost nothing to enhance my understanding his thought.

Canada on Dec 24, 2022

Fred Musante: This is an excellent biography for understanding the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche, which is not easy to follow and is further clouded by numerous calumnies against the philosopher over the last century and a half. And it is worthwhile to understand him. Nietzsche is the most important Western philosopher since he published his first book in 1872, 150 years ago this year. Important? He is the singularly most influential thinker in Western thought and his ideas also inspired important works of art, music and literature. So yeah, important.

Sue Prideaux's biography is eminently readable and entertaining, although it is also a serious work of criticism in its own right. "I Am Dynamite!" won the 2019 Hawthornden Prize, a British literary award.

United States on Jan 26, 2022

Amazon Customer: Biographies are rarely my thing, but I wanted to get to grips with a philosopher who has proven so quotable as to assure his 'immortality'. This biography is well written and well-balanced. The man, the context of his writing, the family issues, its all here. A troubled human being who struggled with the big issues of his time, came up with some very quotable, controversial sayings and thereby shaped European thinking. The author truly understands her subject and keeps enough critical distance to deliver a sympathetic but real picture of a philosopher who certainly stirred up his field, sometimes it seems just because he could.

United Kingdom on Oct 14, 2021

Ricky: This excellent book brings alive the life and works of Friedrich Nietzsche. This philosopher has become a titan of left-wing philosophy, often quoted and heralded as the man who destroyed God and Judeo-Christianity. The book traces Nietzsche’s life, his struggle with his health, both physical and mental. It presents the man in the context of his time and place, the narrative capturing both personal and professional anguish and a determination to become recognised as a great thinker.
As the young Professor of Philology at Basel University at the age of 24, he struggled to be thought of as a philosopher. His early friendship with Richard Wagner, his subsequent falling out and his wanderings all reveal a mind in torment. His infatuation with the bewitching Lou Salome offers a fascinating insight into the mind of a naïve, immature psyche, who could not cope with her rejecting his advances. Instead, it produced some misogynistic attitudes and resentments towards his own sister and mother.
Nietzsche wrote his philosophical masterpieces ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra’ and ‘Beyond Good and Evil’ whilst in physical and mental agony. The philosophies attacked God and were based on...

United Kingdom on Jun 13, 2021

Jake: Complicated man, complicated book. Felt like I was riding down a bumpy road, sometimes lost and backtracking and wondering who was speaking. Back seat driver? Passenger? The driver?

Great vocabulary, filled with data, but delivered with a somewhat jarring presentation. Several times the book appears to be ending but bounces back onto the road again.

It began apparently linear but then threw in flashbacks, flash forwards flashes sideways and flashes of flash.
Sometimes the book was speaking about him, other times speaking for him or speaking with him and including a multitude of his quotes in between.

The author appears to have expert, In depth knowledge of Nietzsche and has probably read all his books. A lot of self-editorializing. Nietzsche’s quotes are embedded in the author's analysis and opinion of what he is attempting to communicate about Nietzsche. At times it felt like a lecture embedded in a book review and history lesson.

Paraphrasing one of the author’s statements... Nietzsche was always crazy; the difference was the degree of craziness and at what times. My opinion: Like many geniuses his brain was wired differently. I’d recommend...

United States on Feb 09, 2020

DoodleLet: Honestly, I think Nietzsche, for all his influence and genius was, himself, a kinda dry guy and German in the best possible & positive way. It was nice to see him rescued from his Nazi-loving sister (he would've hated how he was used) and, on religion basically all he was saying is "You're doing it wrong." He deserves to be remembered for his originality, brilliance, and bravery - but (I think) his brilliance was in applying a poetic understanding to traditional philosophy. But this is biography of a guy who led a frequently very difficult, life (thru little fault of his own). On a similar subject I probably enjoyed "The Existentialist's Survival Guide: How to Live Authentically in an Inauthentic Age" by Gordon Marino more but maybe because I'm more of a generalist. Really good bio of Nietzsche I thought.

United States on Jan 24, 2020

Patricia K. Cox: The multi-award winning biographer Sue Prideaux has produced a sympathetic and easy to understand biography of a complicated man. Nietzsche knew his ideas could and would be misrepresented, and the author does great service to his legacy by carefully documenting the intent and meaning behind the formidable and forward looking ideas he espoused, as well as the evolution of his thought. She also masterfully captures a time of rapid change and the feast of ideas and revolution of thought between the 19th and 20th centuries. Nietzsche’s relationships with his family, mentors and adversaries are also covered in a fascinating way, providing the feel of a novel or thriller rather than the typical staid biography many treatments give. The love of nature and humanitarian qualities in Nietzsche shine here, as well as the ultimate personal tragedy of the man. It is a fitting biography of a giant who, through the gift of his intellect, is with us still - and a very personal tale of a human being, both tragic and sublime.

United States on Nov 16, 2019

Tariki: Excellent biography of one of the most influential men of modern times. Maybe if you have found Nietzsche too difficult to get into in any meaningful way then this could be the place to start. Time and place, the small details of a life, I find often flesh out a "philosophy" that proves difficult to understand in its raw form - and the almost staccato, aphoristic style of Nietzsche's writings invite either incomprehension or, worse, misunderstanding. Sue Prideaux weaves the challenge that Nietzsche poses to us "moderns" into his life story, and does it well.

I never really knew just how much Nietzsche suffered health wise, both intestinal and with his vision. Again, just how much he moved around, throughout Europe.

His sister Elizabeth is presented here as the villain of the piece and undoubtedly she was, misrepresenting Nietzsche's thoughts; while he was still alive, yet mad, but more so after his death. Nietzsche as the "forerunner" of the Nazi's was the product of Elizabeth's lack of insight, deliberate misrepresentations, and simplifications. So much so that, as Sue Prideaux says:- "Ernst Krieck, a prominent Nazi ideologue, sarcastically remarked that apart from...

United Kingdom on Aug 13, 2019