"The Joyful Wisdom," written in 1882, just before "Zarathustra," is rightly judged to be one of Nietzsche's best books. Here the essentially grave and masculine face of the poet-philosopher is seen to light up and suddenly break into a delightful smile. The warmth and kindness that beam from his features will astonish those hasty psychologists who have never divined that behind the destroyer is the creator, and behind the blasphemer the lover of life. In the retrospective valuation of his work which appears in "Ecce Homo" the author himself observes with truth that the fourth book, "Sanctus Januarius," deserves especial attention: "The whole book is a gift from the Saint, and the introductory verses express my gratitude for the most wonderful month of January that I have ever spent." Book fifth "We Fearless Ones," the Appendix "Songs of Prince Free-as-a-Bird," and the Preface, were added to the second edition in 1887. (Summary by Dr Oscar Levy)
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Chapters
- Chapter 1
Editorial Note and Preface
24:56 - Chapter 2
Jest, Ruse and Revenge: A Prelude in Rhyme
24:24 - Chapter 3
Book First, Part 1
1:06:48 - Chapter 4
Book First, Part 2
1:02:13 - Chapter 5
Book Second, Part 1
58:29 - Chapter 6
Book Second, Part 2
54:20 - Chapter 7
Book Third, Part 1
58:38 - Chapter 8
Book Third, Part 2
58:10 - Chapter 9
Book Fourth: Sanctus Januarius, Part 1
1:10:34 - Chapter 10
Book Fourth: Sanctus Januarius, Part 2
1:06:16 - Chapter 11
Book Fifth: We Fearless Ones, Part 1
1:06:18 - Chapter 12
Book Fifth: We Fearless Ones, Part 2
1:09:37 - Chapter 13
Book Fifth: We Fearless Ones, Part 3
56:33 - Chapter 14
Appendix: Songs of Prince Free-as-a-Bird
21:30