Ecce Homo

How One Becomes What One Is

De: Friedrich Nietzsche

Narrado por: Steven Van Doren

Ecce homo, "behold the man", are the words Friedrich Nietzsche chose as the title for his literary self-portrait. A main purpose of the book was to offer Nietzsche's own perspective on his work as a philosopher and human being.

Ecce Homo also forcefully repudiates those interpretations of his previous works purporting to find support there for imperialism, anti-Semitism, militarism, and Social Darwinism.

Nietzsche strives to present a new image of the philosopher and of himself as a philosopher. He expounds upon his life as a child, his tastes as an individual, and his vision for humanity. On these grounds, some consider Ecce Homo a literary work comparable in its artistry to Van Gogh's paintings.

Public Domain (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Funny and reflective

Nietzsche wimsy and writing coupled with the readers presentation makes this a quick enjoyable listen for a Sunday afternoon.

I suppose I wasn't ready for this read?

Honestly I've heard nothing but great things about the author and his contributions to the science of psychology. However this was the the first book I listened to because I was told that Zarathustra isn't a good book to read if I haven't read any of his other books. nevertheless I hope the next book changes my perspective.

Self-absorbed aggrandizement

We all know that one person who just loves to hear themself talk.. that’s Nietzsche in this book: the bloated opinion of an indulgent narcissist reveling in their own splendor

Nietzsche's Joie de vivre!

I love listening to this book. The narrator manages to capture much of the nuance of Nietzsche's voice, including the sarcasm, chutzpah, and just all around joie de vivre.

Entertaining read

Nietzsche was kind of a jerk but he left some good gems in here especially when talking about how a man should clear his mind by staying active and not eating like crap. The narrator is great at landing Nietzsche’s ironic tone through the book- so much so that i wanted to drown both of him and Fred at the same time. 9/10

best to read after you read and learn about Niche

this should not be a person's first introduction to Niche but rather after you start to understand the man otherwise you will end up being overwhelmed and misunderstanding and your personal dogma will take over your objectivity. also it would be counterintuitive to look at Niche through the lens of modernity. Also I would add that for some reason Audible displays the worst reviews first instead of in chronological order so read all of them first.

Great book...

What made the experience of listening to Ecce Homo the most enjoyable?

Nietzsche is the best, and his autobiography is a great experience if you're interested in the man. It gives an account of his life that seems honest, and equally mysterious. Full of good advice that you think the man doesn't really live by. Typical Nietzsche. The book is worth it for the chapter titles alone. "Why I Am So Wise." "Why I Am So Clever." The man nailed it.

What about Steven Van Doren’s performance did you like?

Listen, this guy sounded like George Takei. I felt like Nietzsche was being read from the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. It was much to pompous and self aggrandizing, and I understand why someone might THINK this is the way to do it. But that someone was wrong.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Sure, if I had that long to sit. Who could sit that long?

Any additional comments?

No.

excellent reading of this Nietzsche classic text

of course this is a classic and philosophy. is a bit dated in his criticism of the German people and culture which he obviously held much disdain for. there are a lot of references to zarathustra, so I would say well this is a classic, and kind of short, it is not his best.

Bombastic, Fantastic?

being a friedrich nietzsche fan, i have to say this is a curious book. he's always got the hammer close when he's writing, but in this book all tricks of literary veneer are gone and he's fully bombastic, and without any trace of irony as he lays out chapter and verse why he is: clever, wise, a great writer, pure blooded, virtuous, etc. you could trot out a few of these gems without context, but the reader would find it hard to believe.

this book reads like a diary of self adulation. i find not a lot of "philosophy" happening here , although, of course, he's a rich writer and can pack an axiom into half a sentence - ie. "that which does not kill you, makes you stronger" - found herein.

unlike his other books, this one is vertiginously self referential. he's settleling scores with newspaper critics from 1870, and telling you why you'll care in 2010 - the balls on this guy!

Nietzsche is the 19th century philosophical bete noire, and he bashes his way through your head with more lacerating truth in a sentence than you'll find in a volume of his contemporaries. read twilight of the idols / how to philosophize with a hammer if you're new to Nietzsche. and read it again!

this book is interesting mostly as a (not flattering) window to his inner personality... interesting but bizarre.

Great book - poor reader

This cannot be what Nietzsche sounded like! This chirpy reading captures none of the grit and anger of Nietzsche. I've tried to stick with it by pretending it's an underpaid graduate student reading N's notes, but it's painful. Will someone else please record this book?