Thus Spake Zarathustra - Penn State University

Thus Spake Zarathustraciples were.Now, it is clear that the book with the most mysterious,startling, or suggestive title, will always stand theAPPENDIXbest chance of being purchased by those who have noother criteria to guide them in their choice than theNOTES ON THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRAaspect of a title-page; and this explains why Thus SpakeBYZarathustra is almost always the first and often the onlyANTHONY M. LUDOVICIone of Nietzsche’s books that falls into the hands of theuninitiated.I HAVE HAD SOME opportunities of studying the conditions The title suggests all kinds of mysteries; a glance atunder which Nietzsche is read in Germany, France, and the chapter-headings quickly confirms the suspicions alreadyaroused, and the sub-title: “A Book for All andEngland, and I have found that, in each of these countries,students of his philosophy, as if actuated by preciselysimilar motives and desires, and misled by the same the prospective purchaser may entertain concerning hisNone”, generally succeeds in dissipating the last doubtsmistaken tactics on the part of most publishers, all proceedin the same happy-go-lucky style when “taking him happens?fitness for the book or its fitness for him. And whatup.” They have had it said to them that he wrote without Thus Spake Zarathustra is taken home; the reader, whoany system, and they very naturally conclude that it does perchance may know no more concerning Nietzsche thannot matter in the least whether they begin with his first, a magazine article has told him, tries to read it and,third, or last book, provided they can obtain a few vague understanding less than half he reads, probably neverideas as to what his leading and most sensational prin-gets further than the second or third part,—and then292