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A review by schildpad
The Book of Dead Philosophers by Simon Critchley
2.0
Probably would not have finished this book (as quickly) if not for the interesting times in which we are living, leaving me with too much time to do nothing (and thus read).
Three thoughts, the first one somewhat philosophical, the other critical and the last one neither of those two things.
1) Critchley wants his readers to contemplate and meditate on death and the role death plays in our lives. He also argues for an approach to philosophy which does not disregard the lives of philosophers. These two things I found to be incompatible.
2) The witty style did not work for me as well: it felt like Critchley tried to take on too much at once. AND philosophical discussion of death, AND providing us funny/interesting stories of the deaths of philosophers AND presenting their thinking as one with their work. He should've chosen one approach, I think. Now the book was neither truly funny, nor all that interesting (spoiler: most deaths were really quite boring): presenting the discussed philosophers exactly as the stereotypes I already encountered in every other introduction to philosophy.
3) I do not really want to know what it says about me that I already knew every single actual interesting death in this book (the story of how Bacon died continues to be my favourite). I wish my memory for useful things was as good as my memory for morbid facts and details.
Would not recommend. Although it was better than staring at the walls and pacing through my room I guess.
Three thoughts, the first one somewhat philosophical, the other critical and the last one neither of those two things.
1) Critchley wants his readers to contemplate and meditate on death and the role death plays in our lives. He also argues for an approach to philosophy which does not disregard the lives of philosophers. These two things I found to be incompatible.
2) The witty style did not work for me as well: it felt like Critchley tried to take on too much at once. AND philosophical discussion of death, AND providing us funny/interesting stories of the deaths of philosophers AND presenting their thinking as one with their work. He should've chosen one approach, I think. Now the book was neither truly funny, nor all that interesting (spoiler: most deaths were really quite boring): presenting the discussed philosophers exactly as the stereotypes I already encountered in every other introduction to philosophy.
3) I do not really want to know what it says about me that I already knew every single actual interesting death in this book (the story of how Bacon died continues to be my favourite). I wish my memory for useful things was as good as my memory for morbid facts and details.
Would not recommend. Although it was better than staring at the walls and pacing through my room I guess.