Friedrich Nietzsche

Firstly, I need to say that for the most part I'm only drawn to authors who share the same sentiments as I do - it has always helped me better understand myself, as if seeing me with someone else's eyes and being able to judge what this person is really worth. Thus my favorite philosopher has been and remains the legendary Friedrich Nietzsche. I've just finished reading his book La Gaya Scienza a few days ago, and having read this work of his just further made me think of him as my little hero. I'm thankful to this world for bringing Nietzsche into it.

Friedrich Nietzsche, The Gay Science - 341: The greatest weight.

"What, if some day or night a demon were to steal after you in your loneliest loneliness and say to you: "This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there will be nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every thought and sigh and everything unutterably small or great in your life will have to return to you, all in the same succession and sequence — even this spider and this moonlight between the trees, and even this moment and I myself. The eternal hourglass of existence is turned upside down again and again — and you with it, speck of dust!" — Would you not throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse the demon who spoke thus? Or have you once experienced a tremendous moment when you would have answered him: "You are a god and never have I heard anything more divine!" If this thought gained possession of you, it would change you as you are or perhaps crush you; the question in each and every thing, "Do you desire this once more, and innumerable times more?" would lie upon your actions as the greatest weight! Or how well disposed would you have to become to yourself and to life to crave nothing more fervently than this ultimate eternal confirmation and seal?"

Smell Sensation

When I did a post on taste, I thought it might be a good idea to give thanks for my favorite smells. So here goes. I like the smell of freshly ground coffee - perfect for turning any room into such a warm and welcoming one. I like the smell of uncooked pancake batter - no other dough has this addictively heady odor, I sometimes think I would totally buy and use a perfume that resembled the smell if I could ever come across one. And last, but not least, I like the smell of the pages of a new book... This one is particulary cool as it fades away fairly quick.

Hero

I am thankful for my most favorite book ever - "A Hero of Our Time" by M. Lermontov. I remember when I first got my hands on it I was about 13 and I couldn't stop reading it... I read the "Princess Mary" part 3 times in a row. The book is short but intense, a written psychological thriller at its best, or at least to me it is. It really is not for everyone though - I happen to be the only person I know who's that crazy about this mind wrecking work. What can I do, I love my characters flawed, torn and contradictory.

For some of the quotations from the book check here, or you can download it for free here (very decent translation - I checked). And when I started "checking" I ended up reading the whole thing again...

What is your most favorite book, and why?

Simply Packaging

I'm thankful for this awesome book on packaging design called Simply Packaging I got at this super awesome bookstore at 10 Corso Como in Milan. The 10 Corso Como place is an awesome concept in the whole and in general, and I might be thankful for it some time later, but now I just want to focus my attention on the book. I'm thankful to it for keeping me company on these days when I'm not feeling well and have to spend time mostly in bed. I, then, open the book and go through the pictures, reading the notes on the side. It helps me get distracted from the body's unpleasant sensations and keeps my mind inspired, so that when I'm back to the working mode I'm actually ready to have the work done. It puts me in a better mood too, since it brings all those good memories of that trip to Italy... It might come off silly, but when I realized how helpful this book had been I intentionally never opened it on other, normal, days, so I guess in a way I now have something to look forward to even when my body and system could use some rest. Talk about silver lining!..

Lolita

I'm glad, relieved and thankful to have finally finished reading Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita". Oh what it cost me!.. First opened the book in Egypt on 25th of April in 2008 and put it down just now, about 5 minutes ago, - on October 27th, 2009, one and a half years later.

I never liked it, this is why. Just somehow always had this feeling that this is one of those books that I don't enjoy but have to read (really not sure where I got that from), so I kept forcing myself to read. It was hard as I didn't like the style in which it's written, the subject itself was much more appealing to me than the intricacy of the plot too.

But oh my, what it cost me to finish reading this book!.. It had me shaking with disgust and disdain for the Lolita character and it even made me cry, for if there's one thing I truly hate it's betrayal, and it's exactly what Lolita did to Humbert. Her portrayed disloyalty brought back some painful memories from my own past, and I even had trouble sleeping a few days ago because of all the emotions haunting me - one night I woke up a few times just to find myself forgetting to breathe, I've noticed this is what happens to me when I'm highly stressed.

I feel so accomplished though, good to be done reading it as I was really looking forward to this day!

P.S. The above review is my personal opinion and in no way am I forcing it on anyone - you have your right to disagree.