This book, writ from the perspective of Zarathustra serves to introduce Nietzsche's concept of the Übermensch, the "superman". The basic idea is that "Man is something that is to be surpassed" ((3)) that instead of letting oneself be limited by religious and social conventions one should make for themselves a new paradigm, rather than simply believing in external forces and validation that one should "dare only to believe in yourselves." ((83))

I find it in someways daunting trying to write up what I felt about this book, the first full work by Nietzsche I've ever read. I did greatly enjoy the book, and found a lot of comfort in Nietzsche's philosophy. I found great resonance in lines like "I am a law only for mine own; I am not a law for all." ((203)) as well as other points that reflected a sense of social relativity.

My main complaint toward Nietzsche was simply that I felt the book became fairly repetitive for the last third of the text. Rather than expanding or exploring the ideals of the Übermensch, their role and creation, I felt like it was repeating what was said, drilling it into your head, though perhaps this makes sense with Nietzsche's view on simple people.

I found this translation a bit cumbersome compared to others I've browsed, as the translator, Thomas Common, strove to keep the Biblical language intact, which mean a lexicon fairly similar to the King James Bible.

I greatly enjoyed finally reading some Nietzsche, and feel a drive to read more from the taste Thus Spake Zarathustra has given me. ( )

Although Professor Alderman credits his own interpretation of Nietzsche as a derivation of Heidegger's, Alderman takes Zarathustra as the paradigm of the philosopher, leaving Heidegger to his Will to Power notebook. But Heidegger is wrong-- about philosophy and about Nietzsche and about Zarathustra...

Zarathustra is NOT a proponent of objectivist nihilism. He is explicitly, explicitly and songfully, and beingfully trying to FREE humankind from metaphysics and its thin-lipped sour Schopenhauer bower. It is Socratic! The opposite of a Will with a need to be UBER.

[do the love dance] ( )

Zarathustra arrives to make way fur die Ubermensch. Eternal return as optimystic destiny. A startling rejection of wagnerian pessimism and his own earlier teaching.

No book has influenced me as much as 'Zarathustra' did. Before the last pages were read, I already knew: "I will not read any comparable book ever again in my entire life" - because there probably isn't one. Nietzsche just steals the show with this book. The power that every single sentence contains cannot be described, therefore you just have to read it. ( )

One of those books that, at the time, changes your whole world view... ( )