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SoBrief
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Tragedy, the Greeks, and Us
by Simon Critchley • 2019
Greek tragedy's darkest insight: we are not victims of fate. We are its willing accomplices.
3.89
388
Tragedy, the Greeks, and Us Summary
Tragedy, the Greeks, and Us 92%
Greek tragedy's darkest insight: we are not victims of fate. We are its willing accomplices.
by Simon Critchley 2019
3.89
388 ratings
The Birth of Tragedy
by Friedrich Nietzsche • 1871
Greek tragedy died of rationalism, a suicide a culture is still paying for.
3.98
22k+
The Birth of Tragedy Summary
The Birth of Tragedy 91%
Greek tragedy died of rationalism, a suicide a culture is still paying for.
by Friedrich Nietzsche 1871
3.98
22k+ ratings
Caligula and Three Other Plays
by Albert Camus • 1949
Four plays by Albert Camus where grief becomes tyranny, silence kills, and justice demands blood.
4.07
3k+
Caligula and Three Other Plays Summary
Caligula and Three Other Plays 90%
Four plays by Albert Camus where grief becomes tyranny, silence kills, and justice demands blood.
by Albert Camus 1949
4.07
3k+ ratings
The Existentialist's Guide to Death, the Universe and Nothingness
by Gary Cox • 2011
You are free in a way you never asked for. This is what that actually costs.
4.12
121
The Existentialist's Guide to Death, the Universe and Nothingness Summary
The Existentialist's Guide to Death, the Universe and Nothingness 90%
You are free in a way you never asked for. This is what that actually costs.
by Gary Cox 2011
4.12
121 ratings
The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays
by Albert Camus • 1942
The only real philosophical question is suicide. The answer is not hope, but revolt.
4.21
66k+
The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays Summary
The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays 90%
The only real philosophical question is suicide. The answer is not hope, but revolt.
by Albert Camus 1942
4.21
66k+ ratings
Antigone
by Jean Anouilh • 1960
A king forbids her brother's burial. She buries him anyway, knowing it means her death.
3.77
31k+
Antigone Summary
Antigone 90%
A king forbids her brother's burial. She buries him anyway, knowing it means her death.
by Jean Anouilh 1960
3.77
31k+ ratings
Huis clos
by Jean-Paul Sartre • 1944
Three strangers arrive in hell expecting torture. Instead they get a drawing room and each other.
4.11
47k+
Huis clos Summary
Huis clos 89%
Three strangers arrive in hell expecting torture. Instead they get a drawing room and each other.
by Jean-Paul Sartre 1944
4.11
47k+ ratings
Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering
by Scott Samuelson • 2018
Our crusade to eliminate suffering is producing a deeper despair. Seven traditions show why.
4.00
134
Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering Summary
Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering 89%
Our crusade to eliminate suffering is producing a deeper despair. Seven traditions show why.
by Scott Samuelson 2018
4.00
134 ratings
Existentialism
by Robert C. Solomon • 1974
No fixed human nature, only your choices. Each one invents you and implicates everyone else.
4.07
384
Existentialism Summary
Existentialism 89%
No fixed human nature, only your choices. Each one invents you and implicates everyone else.
by Robert C. Solomon 1974
4.07
384 ratings
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
by Tom Stoppard • 1967
Two bit players wander into Hamlet and can't escape: the script already says they die.
4.04
94k+
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Summary
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead 89%
Two bit players wander into Hamlet and can't escape: the script already says they die.
by Tom Stoppard 1967
4.04
94k+ ratings
Very Little...Almost Nothing
by Simon Critchley • 2004
Nihilism is the norm after God. Creative resistance through literature is how meaning gets remade.
3.89
132
Very Little...Almost Nothing Summary
Very Little...Almost Nothing 89%
Nihilism is the norm after God. Creative resistance through literature is how meaning gets remade.
by Simon Critchley 2004
3.89
132 ratings
Poetics
by Aristotle
Plot is everything. Character is secondary. The ancient blueprint for a tragedy that devastates.
3.83
30k+
Poetics Summary
Poetics 89%
Plot is everything. Character is secondary. The ancient blueprint for a tragedy that devastates.
by Aristotle
3.83
30k+ ratings
The Trojan Women
by Euripides • 2006
Hektor's last hope arrives too late: a Thracian king whom Athena has already marked for death.
3.89
13k+
The Trojan Women Summary
The Trojan Women 89%
Hektor's last hope arrives too late: a Thracian king whom Athena has already marked for death.
by Euripides 2006
3.89
13k+ ratings
The Myth of Sisyphus
by Albert Camus • 1942
Indifferent universe, no cosmic meaning: why not end it? Camus answers with Sisyphus.
4.17
99k+
The Myth of Sisyphus Summary
The Myth of Sisyphus 89%
Indifferent universe, no cosmic meaning: why not end it? Camus answers with Sisyphus.
by Albert Camus 1942
4.17
99k+ ratings
A Life Worth Living
by Robert Zaretsky • 2013
The universe is silent, life has no given meaning. Camus: that is where freedom begins.
4.00
647
A Life Worth Living Summary
A Life Worth Living 89%
The universe is silent, life has no given meaning. Camus: that is where freedom begins.
by Robert Zaretsky 2013
4.00
647 ratings
Studies in Pessimism
by Arthur Schopenhauer • 1890
Beneath all striving is a blind will: pleasure is pain's absence, and boredom fills every gap.
3.88
2k+
Studies in Pessimism Summary
Studies in Pessimism 89%
Beneath all striving is a blind will: pleasure is pain's absence, and boredom fills every gap.
by Arthur Schopenhauer 1890
3.88
2k+ ratings
Heidegger
by Michael Watts • 2014
Heidegger demystified: the freedom found in facing death, and the worldview technology imposes.
4.40
143
Heidegger Summary
Heidegger 89%
Heidegger demystified: the freedom found in facing death, and the worldview technology imposes.
by Michael Watts 2014
4.40
143 ratings
Colección integral de Sófocles
by Sophocles
When plague strikes Thebes, a brilliant king hunts the killer, unaware he hunts himself.
3.95
17k+
Colección integral de Sófocles Summary
Colección integral de Sófocles 89%
When plague strikes Thebes, a brilliant king hunts the killer, unaware he hunts himself.
by Sophocles
3.95
17k+ ratings
Grief Lessons
by Anne Carson
Four Euripidean plays where the gods are cruel, grief is permanent, and the living envy the dead.
4.38
2k+
Grief Lessons Summary
Grief Lessons 89%
Four Euripidean plays where the gods are cruel, grief is permanent, and the living envy the dead.
by Anne Carson
4.38
2k+ ratings
Oedipus Rex
by Sophocles
To lift a plague, an oracle demands Laius's killer. Oedipus vows to hunt him down.
3.73
239k+
Oedipus Rex Summary
Oedipus Rex 89%
To lift a plague, an oracle demands Laius's killer. Oedipus vows to hunt him down.
by Sophocles
3.73
239k+ ratings
Prometheus Bound
by Aeschylus • 1990
Chained for giving fire to mortals, a Titan holds the secret that could overthrow Zeus.
3.94
22k+
Prometheus Bound Summary
Prometheus Bound 89%
Chained for giving fire to mortals, a Titan holds the secret that could overthrow Zeus.
by Aeschylus 1990
3.94
22k+ ratings
Lyrical and Critical Essays
by Albert Camus • 1970
Poverty and sunlight taught Camus a philosophy without resentment. These essays are its laboratory.
4.31
1k+
Lyrical and Critical Essays Summary
Lyrical and Critical Essays 89%
Poverty and sunlight taught Camus a philosophy without resentment. These essays are its laboratory.
by Albert Camus 1970
4.31
1k+ ratings
Breaking Bad and Philosophy
by David R. Koepsell • 2012
A philosophy class uses Walter White to dissect moral rot, freedom, and the American Dream.
3.30
274
Breaking Bad and Philosophy Summary
Breaking Bad and Philosophy 89%
A philosophy class uses Walter White to dissect moral rot, freedom, and the American Dream.
by David R. Koepsell 2012
3.30
274 ratings
On the Suffering of the World
by Arthur Schopenhauer • 1850
Happiness is only the temporary absence of pain; suffering, not joy, is life's actual engine.
3.86
3k+
On the Suffering of the World Summary
On the Suffering of the World 89%
Happiness is only the temporary absence of pain; suffering, not joy, is life's actual engine.
by Arthur Schopenhauer 1850
3.86
3k+ ratings
All Things are Possible
by Lev Shestov • 1905
Reason is a trap, morality is vengeance, and the outcast knows what philosophy will not say.
4.09
314
All Things are Possible Summary
All Things are Possible 89%
Reason is a trap, morality is vengeance, and the outcast knows what philosophy will not say.
by Lev Shestov 1905
4.09
314 ratings
J.B.
by Archibald MacLeish • 1958
A modern Job in verse: God thunders, but justice is absent. What persists is human.
3.75
2k+
J.B. Summary
J.B. 88%
A modern Job in verse: God thunders, but justice is absent. What persists is human.
by Archibald MacLeish 1958
3.75
2k+ ratings
Ecce Homo
by Friedrich Nietzsche • 1908
If you had to live your exact life again forever, could you say yes? Nietzsche's final book.
3.81
20k+
Ecce Homo Summary
Ecce Homo 88%
If you had to live your exact life again forever, could you say yes? Nietzsche's final book.
by Friedrich Nietzsche 1908
3.81
20k+ ratings
Shakespeare
by Harold Bloom • 1998
Macbeth as a map of the mind: how ambition, guilt, and deception destroy from within.
4.03
4k+
Shakespeare Summary
Shakespeare 88%
Macbeth as a map of the mind: how ambition, guilt, and deception destroy from within.
by Harold Bloom 1998
4.03
4k+ ratings
درباره اورستیا
by Simon Goldhill • 1992
Why the charter myth of Western theatre is far more unsettling than its torchlit finale admits.
3.98
63
درباره اورستیا Summary
درباره اورستیا 88%
Why the charter myth of Western theatre is far more unsettling than its torchlit finale admits.
by Simon Goldhill 1992
3.98
63 ratings
Antigone
by Sophocles
Creon bans burial for a traitor; Antigone defies him to honor the gods.
3.69
179k+
Antigone Summary
Antigone 88%
Creon bans burial for a traitor; Antigone defies him to honor the gods.
by Sophocles
3.69
179k+ ratings
The Age of Defeat
by Colin Wilson • 1959
Why the hero vanished: affluence, conformity, and philosophy all taught us we don't matter.
4.00
59
The Age of Defeat Summary
The Age of Defeat 88%
Why the hero vanished: affluence, conformity, and philosophy all taught us we don't matter.
by Colin Wilson 1959
4.00
59 ratings
The Visit
by Friedrich Dürrenmatt • 1956
A billionaire offers her hometown a fortune for one thing: the life of her former lover.
3.67
39k+
The Visit Summary
The Visit 88%
A billionaire offers her hometown a fortune for one thing: the life of her former lover.
by Friedrich Dürrenmatt 1956
3.67
39k+ ratings
The Rebel
by Albert Camus • 1951
Rebellion either creates solidarity or becomes murder: a journey from blasphemy to the guillotine.
4.13
19k+
The Rebel Summary
The Rebel 88%
Rebellion either creates solidarity or becomes murder: a journey from blasphemy to the guillotine.
by Albert Camus 1951
4.13
19k+ ratings
Waiting for Godot
by Samuel Beckett • 1951
Two aging tramps wait beside a leafless tree for a man who never shows.
3.84
224k+
Waiting for Godot Summary
Waiting for Godot 88%
Two aging tramps wait beside a leafless tree for a man who never shows.
by Samuel Beckett 1951
3.84
224k+ ratings
On Human Nature
by Arthur Schopenhauer • 1851
Character is fixed, free will is a lie, and cruelty is our default. Only compassion redeems.
3.96
759
On Human Nature Summary
On Human Nature 88%
Character is fixed, free will is a lie, and cruelty is our default. Only compassion redeems.
by Arthur Schopenhauer 1851
3.96
759 ratings
The Conspiracy Against the Human Race
by Thomas Ligotti • 2011
Nature's worst mistake was making you self-aware. The only logical response is to stop reproducing.
4.01
10k+
The Conspiracy Against the Human Race Summary
The Conspiracy Against the Human Race 88%
Nature's worst mistake was making you self-aware. The only logical response is to stop reproducing.
by Thomas Ligotti 2011
4.01
10k+ ratings
Nausea
by Jean-Paul Sartre • 1938
A historian's diary becomes a record of his unraveling as ordinary objects turn hostile and unreal.
3.93
142k+
Nausea Summary
Nausea 88%
A historian's diary becomes a record of his unraveling as ordinary objects turn hostile and unreal.
by Jean-Paul Sartre 1938
3.93
142k+ ratings
Andromaque
by Jean Racine • 1667
A Trojan widow must marry Achilles' son to save her child; four hopeless loves collide.
3.70
10k+
Andromaque Summary
Andromaque 88%
A Trojan widow must marry Achilles' son to save her child; four hopeless loves collide.
by Jean Racine 1667
3.70
10k+ ratings
Cynicism
by Ansgar Allen • 2014
Cynicism once meant tearing everything down. Now it just means giving up.
3.71
146
Cynicism Summary
Cynicism 88%
Cynicism once meant tearing everything down. Now it just means giving up.
by Ansgar Allen 2014
3.71
146 ratings
Faust, Part Two
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe • 1832
His soul bargained, Faust chases ideal beauty and builds a kingdom, but paradise demands a cost.
3.65
9k+
Faust, Part Two Summary
Faust, Part Two 88%
His soul bargained, Faust chases ideal beauty and builds a kingdom, but paradise demands a cost.
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1832
3.65
9k+ ratings
Jag är Zlatan
by Zlatan Ibrahimović • 2011
How the West thought: ten ideas from Plato to Rawls that still shape everything we believe.
3.86
19k+
Jag är Zlatan Summary
Jag är Zlatan 88%
How the West thought: ten ideas from Plato to Rawls that still shape everything we believe.
by Zlatan Ibrahimović 2011
3.86
19k+ ratings
El ruletista
by Mircea Cărtărescu • 2011
A dying writer's last testimony: the man who made a living playing Russian roulette.
4.20
6k+
El ruletista Summary
El ruletista 88%
A dying writer's last testimony: the man who made a living playing Russian roulette.
by Mircea Cărtărescu 2011
4.20
6k+ ratings
Le Rivage des Syrtes
by Julien Gracq • 1951
On a dead sea, a restless young officer guards a war three centuries silent.
4.01
2k+
Le Rivage des Syrtes Summary
Le Rivage des Syrtes 88%
On a dead sea, a restless young officer guards a war three centuries silent.
by Julien Gracq 1951
4.01
2k+ ratings
The Bacchae
by Euripides
King Pentheus forbids the worship of Dionysus. The god arrives in disguise to destroy his house.
3.94
26k+
The Bacchae Summary
The Bacchae 88%
King Pentheus forbids the worship of Dionysus. The god arrives in disguise to destroy his house.
by Euripides
3.94
26k+ ratings
Fear and Trembling
by Søren Kierkegaard • 1843
Faith suspends morality. Abraham proved it. The rest is an exploration of anguished, silent belief.
4.00
32k+
Fear and Trembling Summary
Fear and Trembling 88%
Faith suspends morality. Abraham proved it. The rest is an exploration of anguished, silent belief.
by Søren Kierkegaard 1843
4.00
32k+ ratings
Grendel
by John Gardner • 1971
Deathless and despised, a monster wages war on the hall whose stories made him evil.
3.69
43k+
Grendel Summary
Grendel 88%
Deathless and despised, a monster wages war on the hall whose stories made him evil.
by John Gardner 1971
3.69
43k+ ratings
Martin Eden
by Jack London • 1909
A sailor meets a refined girl and destroys himself trying to become worthy of her love.
4.48
56k+
Martin Eden Summary
Martin Eden 88%
A sailor meets a refined girl and destroys himself trying to become worthy of her love.
by Jack London 1909
4.48
56k+ ratings
War and the Iliad
by Simone Weil • 1940
The Iliad's hero is force: what turns a person into a corpse or a living thing.
4.09
983
War and the Iliad Summary
War and the Iliad 88%
The Iliad's hero is force: what turns a person into a corpse or a living thing.
by Simone Weil 1940
4.09
983 ratings
Existentialism
by Thomas R. Flynn • 2006
Your choices are all you are: a brief guide to the philosophy of radical freedom.
3.49
2k+
Existentialism Summary
Existentialism 88%
Your choices are all you are: a brief guide to the philosophy of radical freedom.
by Thomas R. Flynn 2006
3.49
2k+ ratings
A Short Stay in Hell
by Steven L. Peck • 2011
After death, a man faces an infinite library. To escape Hell, he must find the book of his life.
4.15
70k+
A Short Stay in Hell Summary
A Short Stay in Hell 88%
After death, a man faces an infinite library. To escape Hell, he must find the book of his life.
by Steven L. Peck 2011
4.15
70k+ ratings
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