juliana_aldous's review against another edition
4.0
Fun book--made me feel so much better about my relationship history.
carden_saraid's review against another edition
5.0
I've known Andrew for years and was excited to hear that he was publishing a book. Naturally, I had to read this. It's an excellent read, a little bit of the entertaining history and a little bit of humor.
laurenash's review against another edition
4.0
This book. So great. And oddly uplifting. And only a little mean.
Albert Camus: "To love someone means to be willing to age with that person. I am not capable of such love." Mean, but true. Seneca the Younger: "Chastity merely implies ugliness." Just mean.
Albert Camus: "To love someone means to be willing to age with that person. I am not capable of such love." Mean, but true. Seneca the Younger: "Chastity merely implies ugliness." Just mean.
bphguyen's review against another edition
3.5
the translation, at times, was a little bit clunky and too literal. had to skip the translated section of the extensive quotes bc i'm too stupid to connect concepts to the "current" philosopher being discussed
rachel_abby_reads's review against another edition
3.0
Auirky, snarky, silly, and not too leering a look at philosophers who could have had it better in the long term relationship department.
maelisann's review against another edition
3.0
This just goes to show that being a so-called "lover of wisdom" doesn't make you so wise after all. (from someone who is finishing their degree in philosophy.)
lizabethstucker's review against another edition
3.0
Another giveaway from RT Magazine, this is a collection of mini-chapters about philosophers and their love lives. It is a fascinating collection of some very strange people with stranger ideas about love and marriage and relationships. A great quick read that may have you rethinking some of the people schools hold up as role models.
venkyloquist's review against another edition
2.0
If ever there was a misleading title to a book, this has to be it! Detestable dalliances, pompous promiscuity and astounding adultery litter this collection substituting the Shakespearean jilted love or a scorned heart. Inexplicably weird habits of a bunch of highly rated philosophers (for eg. Diogenes the Cynic's reprehensible propensity to urinate, defecate and even masturbate in public), masquerade as love in this peculiar collection.
But nonetheless, this book makes for an interesting read. These philosophers whose at times, arcane and obtuse philosophy is deemed indispensable and whose works occupy a hallowed reverence in the portals of wisdom, prove themselves to be human (or at times sub-human after all). Try digesting this if you can:
Simone de beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre had a singularly unconventional fifty one year relationship during the course of which Beauvoir in her letters to her lover recounted her same-sex liaisons in illuminating detail while receiving from Sartre equally controversial musings dealing with divesting a woman of her chastity, with surgical precision. If this does not confound you, Sartre went on to adopt his Algerian Mistress, Arlette Elkaim as his 'daughter' (yes, daughter). Not to be outwitted, Beauvoir, in turn adopted one of her lovers, Sylvie le Bon, as her daughter (what's with these kinks?) and bequeathed her estate to her!
Taboo and repulsion dot every page of this unique collection. Take the case of Peter Abelard. Falling in love with his own student Heloise, he stoically faced the wrath of his prospective father in law before ultimately winning the latter's approval. In the interregnum, Heloise's maid develops and 'interest' towards Abelard but is rejected to her uncontrollable fury. The story ends tragically when Abelard sends Heloise away to a convent, a move which results in the philosopher being castrated by his now angry father in law!!!
Andrew Shaffer entertains albeit in a revolting fashion and warns u to keep our carnal urges under prudent confinement. After all, there is no point crying over spilt milk, or in this case a castrated member!
'Great philosophers who failed at love' - Philosophy stood erect!
But nonetheless, this book makes for an interesting read. These philosophers whose at times, arcane and obtuse philosophy is deemed indispensable and whose works occupy a hallowed reverence in the portals of wisdom, prove themselves to be human (or at times sub-human after all). Try digesting this if you can:
Simone de beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre had a singularly unconventional fifty one year relationship during the course of which Beauvoir in her letters to her lover recounted her same-sex liaisons in illuminating detail while receiving from Sartre equally controversial musings dealing with divesting a woman of her chastity, with surgical precision. If this does not confound you, Sartre went on to adopt his Algerian Mistress, Arlette Elkaim as his 'daughter' (yes, daughter). Not to be outwitted, Beauvoir, in turn adopted one of her lovers, Sylvie le Bon, as her daughter (what's with these kinks?) and bequeathed her estate to her!
Taboo and repulsion dot every page of this unique collection. Take the case of Peter Abelard. Falling in love with his own student Heloise, he stoically faced the wrath of his prospective father in law before ultimately winning the latter's approval. In the interregnum, Heloise's maid develops and 'interest' towards Abelard but is rejected to her uncontrollable fury. The story ends tragically when Abelard sends Heloise away to a convent, a move which results in the philosopher being castrated by his now angry father in law!!!
Andrew Shaffer entertains albeit in a revolting fashion and warns u to keep our carnal urges under prudent confinement. After all, there is no point crying over spilt milk, or in this case a castrated member!
'Great philosophers who failed at love' - Philosophy stood erect!