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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
Poetics
by Aristotle
Plot is everything. Character is secondary. The ancient blueprint for a tragedy that devastates.
3.83
30k+
Poetics Summary
Poetics 91%
Plot is everything. Character is secondary. The ancient blueprint for a tragedy that devastates.
by Aristotle
3.83
30k+ 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
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 90%
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 90%
Why the charter myth of Western theatre is far more unsettling than its torchlit finale admits.
by Simon Goldhill 1992
3.98
63 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 90%
Hektor's last hope arrives too late: a Thracian king whom Athena has already marked for death.
by Euripides 2006
3.89
13k+ 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
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 89%
A king forbids her brother's burial. She buries him anyway, knowing it means her death.
by Jean Anouilh 1960
3.77
31k+ 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
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
Antigone
by Sophocles
Creon bans burial for a traitor; Antigone defies him to honor the gods.
3.69
179k+
Antigone Summary
Antigone 89%
Creon bans burial for a traitor; Antigone defies him to honor the gods.
by Sophocles
3.69
179k+ 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
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
Medea
by Euripides
A banished sorceress, betrayed for a princess, sends a wedding gift that will burn a kingdom.
3.96
89k+
Medea Summary
Medea 88%
A banished sorceress, betrayed for a princess, sends a wedding gift that will burn a kingdom.
by Euripides
3.96
89k+ 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
The Gods Are Not to Blame
by Ola Rotimi • 1971
Abandoned as a baby to cheat a prophecy, he returns as king to find the curse waiting.
4.01
1k+
The Gods Are Not to Blame Summary
The Gods Are Not to Blame 88%
Abandoned as a baby to cheat a prophecy, he returns as king to find the curse waiting.
by Ola Rotimi 1971
4.01
1k+ ratings
In the Dust of This Planet
by Eugene Thacker • 2011
The world is indifferent to us. Only horror and black metal can think that thought.
3.68
3k+
In the Dust of This Planet Summary
In the Dust of This Planet 88%
The world is indifferent to us. Only horror and black metal can think that thought.
by Eugene Thacker 2011
3.68
3k+ ratings
Macbeth
by William Shakespeare • 1623
Three witches tell a Scottish general he will be king; his wife pushes him to murder.
3.89
1.0M+
Macbeth Summary
Macbeth 88%
Three witches tell a Scottish general he will be king; his wife pushes him to murder.
by William Shakespeare 1623
3.89
1.0M+ 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 88%
A philosophy class uses Walter White to dissect moral rot, freedom, and the American Dream.
by David R. Koepsell 2012
3.30
274 ratings
La Mort du roi Tsongor
by Laurent Gaudé • 2002
A childhood vow returns on a princess's wedding day, dooming her kingdom to war.
3.93
4k+
La Mort du roi Tsongor Summary
La Mort du roi Tsongor 88%
A childhood vow returns on a princess's wedding day, dooming her kingdom to war.
by Laurent Gaudé 2002
3.93
4k+ ratings
Shakespeare's Freedom
by Stephen Greenblatt • 2010
Shakespeare dreamed of absolute freedom; his entire career became a record of its limits.
3.83
175
Shakespeare's Freedom Summary
Shakespeare's Freedom 88%
Shakespeare dreamed of absolute freedom; his entire career became a record of its limits.
by Stephen Greenblatt 2010
3.83
175 ratings
The Thirty Six Dramatic Situations
by Georges Polti • 1921
Every story fits into 36 conflicts. The art is in how you combine them.
3.45
222
The Thirty Six Dramatic Situations Summary
The Thirty Six Dramatic Situations 88%
Every story fits into 36 conflicts. The art is in how you combine them.
by Georges Polti 1921
3.45
222 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
اورستیا
by Aeschylus
To avenge his father, a son must kill his mother, and a goddess must invent justice.
4.02
47k+
اورستیا Summary
اورستیا 88%
To avenge his father, a son must kill his mother, and a goddess must invent justice.
by Aeschylus
4.02
47k+ ratings
Electra
by Euripides
A princess in a peasant's hut awaits her brother's return to avenge their murdered father.
3.95
9k+
Electra Summary
Electra 88%
A princess in a peasant's hut awaits her brother's return to avenge their murdered father.
by Euripides
3.95
9k+ 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
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 88%
Four plays by Albert Camus where grief becomes tyranny, silence kills, and justice demands blood.
by Albert Camus 1949
4.07
3k+ ratings
The New Black
by Darian Leader • 2008
What if depression is stalled mourning? The dead we cannot release may be the real cause.
4.05
713
The New Black Summary
The New Black 88%
What if depression is stalled mourning? The dead we cannot release may be the real cause.
by Darian Leader 2008
4.05
713 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 88%
Our crusade to eliminate suffering is producing a deeper despair. Seven traditions show why.
by Scott Samuelson 2018
4.00
134 ratings
Introductory Lectures on Aesthetics
by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel • 2004
Art makes truth visible, but the age when it could fully satisfy the spirit is over.
3.89
1k+
Introductory Lectures on Aesthetics Summary
Introductory Lectures on Aesthetics 87%
Art makes truth visible, but the age when it could fully satisfy the spirit is over.
by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel 2004
3.89
1k+ 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 87%
You are free in a way you never asked for. This is what that actually costs.
by Gary Cox 2011
4.12
121 ratings
Dialogism
by Michael Holquist • 1990
All speech answers prior speech, all selves depend on others: the dialogic philosophy of Bakhtin.
4.09
88
Dialogism Summary
Dialogism 87%
All speech answers prior speech, all selves depend on others: the dialogic philosophy of Bakhtin.
by Michael Holquist 1990
4.09
88 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 87%
Poverty and sunlight taught Camus a philosophy without resentment. These essays are its laboratory.
by Albert Camus 1970
4.31
1k+ 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 87%
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
Escape from Evil
by Ernest Becker • 1985
Ritual, rank, and wealth are all attempts to live forever. The attempt itself produces evil.
4.4
794
Escape from Evil Summary
Escape from Evil 87%
Ritual, rank, and wealth are all attempts to live forever. The attempt itself produces evil.
by Ernest Becker 1985
4.4
794 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 87%
Nihilism is the norm after God. Creative resistance through literature is how meaning gets remade.
by Simon Critchley 2004
3.89
132 ratings
Bodas de sangre
by Federico García Lorca • 2005
A promised bride still loves the married man whose family murdered her groom's kin.
3.89
36k+
Bodas de sangre Summary
Bodas de sangre 87%
A promised bride still loves the married man whose family murdered her groom's kin.
by Federico García Lorca 2005
3.89
36k+ 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 87%
Heidegger demystified: the freedom found in facing death, and the worldview technology imposes.
by Michael Watts 2014
4.40
143 ratings
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five
by Curtis Smith • 2016
A writer unpacks the alien logic and buried grief inside Vonnegut's time-jumping anti-war classic.
4.27
41
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five Summary
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five 87%
A writer unpacks the alien logic and buried grief inside Vonnegut's time-jumping anti-war classic.
by Curtis Smith 2016
4.27
41 ratings
The Rhetoric & The Poetics of Aristotle
by Aristotle
Persuasion is a system, not a gift: the rules for character, emotion, and logical proof.
4.00
2k+
The Rhetoric & The Poetics of Aristotle Summary
The Rhetoric & The Poetics of Aristotle 87%
Persuasion is a system, not a gift: the rules for character, emotion, and logical proof.
by Aristotle
4.00
2k+ ratings
Only a Joke Can Save Us
by Todd McGowan • 2017
When lack and excess collide, laughter erupts. A philosopher shows why that shock is liberating.
4.32
37
Only a Joke Can Save Us Summary
Only a Joke Can Save Us 87%
When lack and excess collide, laughter erupts. A philosopher shows why that shock is liberating.
by Todd McGowan 2017
4.32
37 ratings
Why Liberalism Failed
by Patrick J. Deneen • 2018
Liberalism didn't fail despite its successes. Its successes broke it.
3.84
4k+
Why Liberalism Failed Summary
Why Liberalism Failed 87%
Liberalism didn't fail despite its successes. Its successes broke it.
by Patrick J. Deneen 2018
3.84
4k+ ratings
Jude the Obscure
by Thomas Hardy • 1895
A stonemason dreams of Oxford, but love for his cousin and a cruel marriage ruin him.
3.84
76k+
Jude the Obscure Summary
Jude the Obscure 87%
A stonemason dreams of Oxford, but love for his cousin and a cruel marriage ruin him.
by Thomas Hardy 1895
3.84
76k+ ratings
The Man Without Content
by Giorgio Agamben • 1970
Plato banished poets for their power. Aesthetics made art safe, and the artist empty.
4.15
383
The Man Without Content Summary
The Man Without Content 87%
Plato banished poets for their power. Aesthetics made art safe, and the artist empty.
by Giorgio Agamben 1970
4.15
383 ratings
The Sublime Object of Ideology
by Slavoj Žižek • 1989
We are cynical, not naive. The ideological illusion operates through our actions, not our beliefs.
4.07
6k+
The Sublime Object of Ideology Summary
The Sublime Object of Ideology 87%
We are cynical, not naive. The ideological illusion operates through our actions, not our beliefs.
by Slavoj Žižek 1989
4.07
6k+ ratings
A View from the Bridge
by Arthur Miller • 1977
A longshoreman's grip on his niece turns desperate when her suitor arrives from Italy.
3.71
19k+
A View from the Bridge Summary
A View from the Bridge 87%
A longshoreman's grip on his niece turns desperate when her suitor arrives from Italy.
by Arthur Miller 1977
3.71
19k+ ratings
The Posthuman
by Rosi Braidotti • 2013
Humanism promised progress but delivered exclusion. A theory of what we become next.
3.82
949
The Posthuman Summary
The Posthuman 87%
Humanism promised progress but delivered exclusion. A theory of what we become next.
by Rosi Braidotti 2013
3.82
949 ratings
Writing and Difference
by Jacques Derrida • 1967
Structuralism loved the architecture of texts. One philosopher asked where the energy went.
4.00
8k+
Writing and Difference Summary
Writing and Difference 87%
Structuralism loved the architecture of texts. One philosopher asked where the energy went.
by Jacques Derrida 1967
4.00
8k+ ratings
Preface to Shakespeare
by Samuel Johnson • 1778
Why Shakespeare's greatness survives his flaws: Samuel Johnson's landmark verdict from 1778.
3.62
376
Preface to Shakespeare Summary
Preface to Shakespeare 87%
Why Shakespeare's greatness survives his flaws: Samuel Johnson's landmark verdict from 1778.
by Samuel Johnson 1778
3.62
376 ratings
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