Nietzsche's Enlightenment: The Free-Spirit Trilogy of the Middle Period Paperback – December 21, 2020

Paul Franco has written a remarkable book about Nietzsche's Human All Too Human, Dawn and Joyful Science, three books that Nietzsche identified should be read together. We see through Professor Franco's close reading how Nietzsche becomes himself (Nietzsche's Enlightenment) through his rejection of Wagner/Romanticism and his acceptance of "science" which leads him to the Eternal Return of the Same and gives birth to Zarathustra.What also makes this book extremely helpful is the chronological reading of the texts, placing it in context of Nietzsche's earlier and then later works. (Likewise, Professor Franco shows how Nietzsche's thoughts develop (change, deepen) within these three books.) These works are not read backwards using Zarathustra as a vantage point. In this fashion, these books are not overshadowed. It is not just a "before". Instead, we become part of the chase that great thinking is. One can truly feel Nietzsche philosophize, his power to seduce to make one wish to join him. We can even see that he had a sense of humor. (Because of this book, I am reading the hilarious Tristam Shandy.)Professor Franco also has a great familiarity of Nietzsche's letters and notebooks which helps to flesh out Nietzsche's thinking at the time he is composing and editing these books.If you wish to read a nuanced view about Nietzsche, I highly recommend this book. It should encourage (and give courage to) one to read Nietzsche's works in order to get a greater sense of how Nietzsche became himself.