A book for free spirits
To do a review for this book, I would have to quote page after page. The book is a treasure trove of tidbits on several facets of life. It is a political treatise, a polemic on art, reflections on love and marriage, thoughts on relationships between man and society; woman and child, a critique of culture and art and a critical look at morals and religion.
Since I know you good readers are diligent, I will recommend for those yet to read this book to add it in their reading list.
On heaven or rather on the metaphysical world, this is what our philosopher friend had to say
No matter how well proven the existence of such a world might be, it would still hold true that the knowledge of it would be the most inconsequential of all knowledge, even more inconsequential than the knowledge of the chemical analysis of water must be to the boatman facing a storm.
and I can’t agree more.
And at the end of the book, we have this beautiful poem
Fine, with one another silent,
Finer, with one another laughing
Under heaven’s silky cloth
Leaning over books and moss
With friends lightly, loudly laughing
Each one showing white teeth shining.
If I did well, let us be silent,
If I did badly, let us laugh
And do it bad again by half,
More badly done, more badly laugh,
Until the grave, when down we climb
Friends! Well! What do you say?
Amen! Until we meet again!Don’t excuse it! Don’t forgive!
You happy, heart free people, give
This unreasonable book1 of mine
Ear and heart and sheltering!
Truly, friends, my own unreason
Did not grow to earn a curse!
What I find, what I am seeking
Was that ever in a book?
Honor one from the fools’ legion!
Learn from out of this fool s book
How reason can be brought “to reason”!
So then, friends, what do you say?
Amen! Until we meet again