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melodramina2's review against another edition
4.0
j’ai beaucoup aimé la lecture, un autre regard sur rousseau et globalement une introspection tout à fait intéressante ?et étrangement généralisable sans être simpliste
theirgracegrace's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Slavery, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, and Grief
msand3's review
5.0
It has been about fifteen years since I read [b:Confessions|12649|Confessions|Jean-Jacques Rousseau|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388293814s/12649.jpg|6985890] in college -- too young to appreciate either the book or the man who penned it -- and even longer since I studied [b:The Social Contract|12651|The Social Contract|Jean-Jacques Rousseau|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388197284s/12651.jpg|702720] in school without having read the entire text. Now I find myself returning to Rousseau: my recent foray into German Sturm und Drang and early-Romanticism has lead me to want to dig back into their philosophical roots, including Jean-Jacques.
And so I found myself reading this stunning book, one that has instantly shot into my "favorites" list, in which Rousseau describes his lonely, isolated walks in the country, a Genevan living as a political pariah in France in the final years of his life. His ideas were only just then sparking the writings of the the revolutionaries in America and would yet to influence the French Revolution fifteen years later. But he would never live to see his work elevated to almost-mythic status in France. At the time, Rousseau was living as an outcast, only able to find peace in his solitary walks, study of botany, and transcribing of music.
As in Confessions, Rousseau is brutally honest about himself, including his negative personal faults (perhaps to the point of exaggeration). He grapples with depression and old age, and his longing to connect wth young people (especially children), which he claims old people are unable to do as physically repulsive representations of decay. He describes how he balances his desire for solitary life (which he sees as a good type of "loving the self") with the type of selfish self-love that leads to vanity, which he considers a result of the corrupting influence of social pressures.
Rousseau's writing is elegant but simple, striking a deep emotional chord that had me lost in his words unlike anything I have read in recent memory. I don't often find memoirs to be so moving or lyrical, and was thrown off guard by my connection with Rousseau the man. At times, I felt like he was speaking directly to my own mental and emotional state, despite such vast differences in our lives and circumstances. And so Reveries has found place on my favorite books list. I feel like I need to re-read Confessions with this new appreciation for Rousseau, as well as his entire major body of work, including his fiction.
And so I found myself reading this stunning book, one that has instantly shot into my "favorites" list, in which Rousseau describes his lonely, isolated walks in the country, a Genevan living as a political pariah in France in the final years of his life. His ideas were only just then sparking the writings of the the revolutionaries in America and would yet to influence the French Revolution fifteen years later. But he would never live to see his work elevated to almost-mythic status in France. At the time, Rousseau was living as an outcast, only able to find peace in his solitary walks, study of botany, and transcribing of music.
As in Confessions, Rousseau is brutally honest about himself, including his negative personal faults (perhaps to the point of exaggeration). He grapples with depression and old age, and his longing to connect wth young people (especially children), which he claims old people are unable to do as physically repulsive representations of decay. He describes how he balances his desire for solitary life (which he sees as a good type of "loving the self") with the type of selfish self-love that leads to vanity, which he considers a result of the corrupting influence of social pressures.
Rousseau's writing is elegant but simple, striking a deep emotional chord that had me lost in his words unlike anything I have read in recent memory. I don't often find memoirs to be so moving or lyrical, and was thrown off guard by my connection with Rousseau the man. At times, I felt like he was speaking directly to my own mental and emotional state, despite such vast differences in our lives and circumstances. And so Reveries has found place on my favorite books list. I feel like I need to re-read Confessions with this new appreciation for Rousseau, as well as his entire major body of work, including his fiction.
readingwithsammi's review
2.0
“The consciousness of existence, divested of every other sensation, is a sentiment of contentment and peace, which alone suffices to render it dear and satisfactory to whoever can put away those sensual and earthly affections which perpetually disturb and embitter our terrestrial felicity.”
The reflections of this man (in France) of his life & other philosophical thoughts. Not too bad - lots of nuggets of knowledge and a quick read.
2.5 - boxalls list
The reflections of this man (in France) of his life & other philosophical thoughts. Not too bad - lots of nuggets of knowledge and a quick read.
2.5 - boxalls list
nochmehrbuecher's review against another edition
2.0
Lässt sich relativ flüssig lesen und hat definitiv ein paar interessante Gedanken – letztlich sind es aber die Reminiszenzen eines privilegierten Mannes, der sich allzu gerne und ausführlich im Selbstmitleid badet, und daher immer wieder anstrengend.