Emil Cioran's 'The Trouble With Being Born' is a collection of brilliantly pessimistic aphorisms that delve into existential musings on mortality, the human condition, and the recalcitrant nature of existence. The book presents a unique blend of self-consciously absurd pessimistic humor, reminiscent of the modern goth subculture, intertwined with profound reflections on life and death. Cioran's writing style is described as beautiful prose that rivals the likes of Montaigne, Dostoevsky, and Sartre, offering readers a cornucopia of pessimistic brightness through sardonic and enigmatic wisdom.
The central argument of the book revolves around the idea that the problem lies not in the act of dying but in the act of being born, exploring themes of existential philosophy, mortality, and the inherent struggles of human existence. Through clever aphorisms and a relentless exploration of pessimism, Cioran challenges readers to confront the fundamental questions surrounding life, death, and the meaning of existence, presenting a thought-provoking and introspective journey through the complexities of human consciousness.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book contains high-content warnings related to themes of nihilism, depression, and existential despair.
From The Publisher:
In this volume, which reaffirms the uncompromising brilliance of his mind, Cioran strips the human condition down to its most basic components, birth and death, suggesting that disaster lies not in the prospect of death but in the fact of birth, "that laughable accident." In the lucid, aphoristic style that characterizes his work, Cioran writes of time and death, God and religion, suicide and suffering, and the temptation to silence. Through sharp observation and patient contemplation, Cioran cuts to the heart of the human experience.
"A love of Cioran creates an urge to press his writing into someone's hand, and is followed by an equal urge to pull it away as poison."- The New Yorker
"In the company of Nietzsche and Kierkegaard."- Publishers Weekly
"No modern writer twists the knife with Cioran's dexterity. . . . His writing . . . is informed with the bitterness of genuine compassion."- Boston Phoenix
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About the Author:
E. M. Cioran left his native land of Romania for Paris in the late 1930s, where he lived and wrote until his death in 1995. His many books include Anathemas and Admirations, A Short History of Decay, and The Trouble with Being Born.
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