Other editions of book Thus Spake Zarathustra: Illustrated

Written in a series of frenzied bursts between 1883 and 1885, Thus Spoke Zarathustra is Friedrich Nietzsche's masterpiece. It is also one of the most controversial books in the history of European literature - a founding classic of modernism in philosophy and poetics, which promised to "break the history of humanity in two."Zarathustra - "Star of Gold" - the sun-worshipping prophet of the earliest strain of monotheism, returns to recant and condemn his own ideas in the name of an entity he calls the bermensch (super-human). He wanders through a strangely familiar land whose customs, laws, and values have been mortgaged to religion and commerce. The people who live there believe they exist at the summit of civilization, wealth, freedom and good taste; Zarathustra's chosen mission is to educate them that the very opposite is true.This revelatory new translation by Dr. Stephen J Metcalf strips Thus Spoke Zarathustra down to its foundations in Gothic horror, and discovers a much darker book than previously suggested - not content with the empty refrain of "God is dead," it sings a dithyramb to the earth at the same time as it mercilessly hunts down the concept of humanity to its theological bedrock. Epic and neo-classical, minimalist and ultra-modern; at times aggressive and confrontational, at others tender, lyrical, grotesque and comical - this is the closest reproduction of the tone and tenor of the German original available in English today.

When Zarathustra was thirty years old, he left his home and the lake of his home, and went into the mountains. There he enjoyed his spirit and solitude, and for ten years did not weary of it. But at last his heart changed,--and rising one morning with the rosy dawn, he went before the sun, and spake thus unto it: Thou great star! What would be thy happiness if thou hadst not those for whom thou shinest! For ten years hast thou climbed hither unto my cave: thou wouldst have wearied of thy light and of the journey, had it not been for me, mine eagle, and my serpent. But we awaited thee every morning, took from thee thine overflow and blessed thee for it. Lo! I am weary of my wisdom, like the bee that hath gathered too much honey; I need hands outstretched to take it. I would fain bestow and distribute, until the wise have once more become joyous in their folly, and the poor happy in their riches. Therefore must I descend into the deep: as thou doest in the evening, when thou goest behind the sea, and givest light also to the nether-world, thou exuberant star! Like thee must I GO DOWN, as men say, to whom I shall descend. Bless me, then, thou tranquil eye, that canst behold even the greatest happiness without envy! Bless the cup that is about to overflow, that the water may flow golden out of it, and carry everywhere the reflection of thy bliss! Lo! This cup is again going to empty itself, and Zarathustra is again going to be a man. Thus began Zarathustra's down-going.

In this masterpiece of philosophical literature Friedrich Nietzsche utters the famous phrase "God is dead!" This powerful book spells out Nietzsche's belief in the will to power, and serves as an introduction to his doctrine of eternal return. One of the most influential books of philosophy ever written. Nietzsche writes with style, power, and conviction.

Thus Spake Zarathustra: A Book for All and None is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None (German: Also sprach Zarathustra: Ein Buch für Alle und Keinen, also translated as Thus Spake Zarathustra) is a philosophical novel by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, composed in four parts between 1883 and 1885 and published between 1883 and 1891. Much of the work deals with ideas such as the "eternal recurrence of the same", the parable on the "death of God", and the "prophecy" of the Übermensch, which were first introduced in The Gay Science.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Thus Spake Zarathustra (1885) was Nietzsche's own favourite among all his books and has proved to be his most popular, having sold millions of copies in many different languages. In it, he addresses the problem of how to live a fulfilling life in a world that faces in the aftermath of 'the death of God'. nietzsche's solution lies in the idea of eternal recurrence which he calls 'the highest formula of affirmation that can ever be attained'.