Composed in four parts between 1883 and 1885, Thus Spoke ZarathustraThus Spoke Zarathustra is a rejection of traditional systems of religious morality, the idea of the will to power, and a vision of a new, higher mode of being, the ubermensch" or "Superman," one of Nietzsche's most famous and controversial figures. As innovative stylistically as it is philosophically, Thus Spoke Zarathustra is both a literary masterpiece and an enduring classic of moral thought. This version of Thus Spoke Zarathustra is the translation by Thomas Common.
Public Domain (P)2011 Tantor
"Great book, poor audio performance"
John Lee has a very rich, mellifluous voice, but the reading he delivers here is unengaged and extremely sloppy. One gets the distinct impression that he has no familiarity with the material at all, and has not made any attempt to prepare himself. For example, he does nothing to register the voices of different characters, and repeatedly reads questions as though they were regular sentences (almost as though he didn't notice the question mark until it was too late). Instead of a nuanced, attentive performance, we get an extremely monotonous reading that never varies from a crisp, polished 'high style'--doing absolutely nothing to capture the exuberant energy and variety of Nietzche's prose. In short, it sounds very much like an automated 'robo-reader' with an Oxford accent.
The book itself, on the other hand, is lots of fun and a must-read for anyone interested in Nietzche's philosophy.