Description

Book Synopsis
A Short History of Decay (1949) is E. M. Cioran''s nihilistic and witty collection of aphoristic essays concerning the nature of civilization in mid 20th-century Europe. Touching upon man''s need to worship, the feebleness of God, the downfall of the Ancient Greeks and the melancholy baseness of all existence, Cioran''s pieces are pessimistic in the extreme, but also display a beautiful certainty that renders them delicate, vivid, and memorable. Illuminating and brutally honest, A Short History of Decay dissects man''s decadence in a remarkable series of moving and beautiful pieces.

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To miss reading this book would be a deprivation * Los Angeles Times *
Sheds remarkable light on the literature, culture and politics of the region...anyone coming fresh to the field will be captivated by the richness, variety, humour and pathos of a classic literature that, through a shared historical experience, transcends national and linguistic boundaries. -- CJ Schüler * Independent on Sunday *

A Short History of Decay

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    A Paperback / softback by E. M. Cioran

    15 in stock

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      View other formats and editions of A Short History of Decay by E. M. Cioran

      Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
      Publication Date: 02/08/2018
      ISBN13: 9780241343463, 978-0241343463
      ISBN10: 0241343461

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      A Short History of Decay (1949) is E. M. Cioran''s nihilistic and witty collection of aphoristic essays concerning the nature of civilization in mid 20th-century Europe. Touching upon man''s need to worship, the feebleness of God, the downfall of the Ancient Greeks and the melancholy baseness of all existence, Cioran''s pieces are pessimistic in the extreme, but also display a beautiful certainty that renders them delicate, vivid, and memorable. Illuminating and brutally honest, A Short History of Decay dissects man''s decadence in a remarkable series of moving and beautiful pieces.

      Trade Review
      To miss reading this book would be a deprivation * Los Angeles Times *
      Sheds remarkable light on the literature, culture and politics of the region...anyone coming fresh to the field will be captivated by the richness, variety, humour and pathos of a classic literature that, through a shared historical experience, transcends national and linguistic boundaries. -- CJ Schüler * Independent on Sunday *

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