Cioran, E. M. (Emile M.) 1911-1995

The temptation to exist by E. M Cioran ( Book )
55 editions published between 1956 and 2011 in 9 languages and held by 908 libraries worldwide
Il n'est pas aisé de tourner le dos aux évidences de la négation. L'auteur s'y est astreint, sans y parvenir toujours. Le non m'excède (leitmotiv du dernier chapitre) est comme la clef d'un livre où le oui surgit plutôt d'une nostalgie que d'un raisonnement. Ceux qui, éprouvant le vide comme une certitude affective, l'assimilent à une donnée primordiale de la conscience, comment se hausseraient-ils à l'affirmation ? Rien de plus difficile pour eux que de concevoir l'être; inaptes à le saisir par l'esprit, ils s'évertuent à le conquérir par la volonté, en même temps qu'ils poussent la négation jusqu'au point où elle s'annule elle-même. Il existe un savoir mortel à la vie, destructeur par essence, dont ces essais se réclament et se détournent tout ensemble. Autant dire qu'ils se présentent comme une série de perplexités, comme l'illustration d'un tiraillement. Si, entre l'être et le connaître, l'auteur opte en fin de compte pour le premier, c'est qu'il s'est exercé à penser contre soi, contre ses certitudes : tiraillement encore, qu'il a instauré cette fois au plus intime de lui-même. Dans ses conclusions, La tentation d'exister n'est qu'une protestation contre la lucidité, une apologie pathétique du mensonge, un retour à quelques fictions salutaires. -- Back cover.

A short history of decay by E. M Cioran ( Book )
90 editions published between 1949 and 2010 in 12 languages and held by 700 libraries worldwide
Toute idée devrait être neutre ; mais l'homme l'anime, y projette ses flammes et ses démences : le passage de la logique à l'épilepsie est consommée... Ainsi naissent les mythologies, les doctrines, et les farces sanglantes. Point d'intolérance ou de prosélytisme qui ne révèle le fond bestial de l'enthousiasme.

History and utopia by E. M Cioran ( Book )
52 editions published between 1960 and 2011 in 10 languages and held by 661 libraries worldwide

The trouble with being born by E. M Cioran ( Book )
66 editions published between 1973 and 2009 in 9 languages and held by 600 libraries worldwide
"Aucune volupté ne surpasse celle qu'on éprouve à l'idée qu'on aurait pu se maintenir dans un état de pure possibilité.

The fall into time by E. M Cioran ( Book )
34 editions published between 1964 and 2008 in 7 languages and held by 555 libraries worldwide

The new gods by E. M Cioran ( Book )
44 editions published between 1969 and 2008 in 8 languages and held by 508 libraries worldwide

On the heights of despair by E. M Cioran ( Book )
33 editions published between 1934 and 2007 in 6 languages and held by 471 libraries worldwide
"This book saved my life." So recalls the Romanian philosopher E.M. Cioran about a book that meditates on madness and death, the absurdity of existence, and the agony of consciousness. Cioran finds in our darkest fears not only reasons to continue living but also the comic, absurd humor in doing so. This early work by Cioran, whom Susan Sontag calls "the most distinguished figure in the tradition of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein," and Marc Fumaroli recently described as "a legend ... a master of French prose," portrays the philosophical mind in the crisis of its self-consuming fever. Born out of a terrible insomnia which Cioran characterizes as "a dizzying lucidity which would turn even paradise into hell," On the Heights of Despair was written in Romania in 1934 at the age of twenty-two. It presents us with the youthful Cioran, who described himself as "a Nietzsche still complete with his Zarathustra, his poses, his mystical clown's tricks, a whole circus of the heights." It also presents Cioran as a connoisseur of apocalypse, a theoretician of despair. For Cioran, writing and philosophy are closely related to physical suffering: both share the "lyrical virtues" that alone lead to metaphysical revelation. The result is a book that becomes a substitute for as well as an antidote to suicide. By enacting the struggle of the Romantic soul against God, the universe, and itself, Cioran releases a saving burst of lyrical energy that carries him safely out of his desperation. On the Heights of Despair shows the philosopher's first grappling with themes he would return to in his mature works: despair and decay, absurdity and alienation, futility and the irrationality of existence. Yet the bracing verve of Cioran's writing and his earthy good humor point toward the elegant stylist of later works. An exorcism of despair, On the Heights of Despair offers insight into the ironic anguish of this philosophical mind. It also gives readers a fascinating look at Cioran's early development, opening new perspectives on his evolution as a writer and thinker.

Anathemas and admirations by E. M Cioran ( Book )
27 editions published between 1987 and 2006 in 9 languages and held by 464 libraries worldwide
Essai.

Tears and saints by E. M Cioran ( Book )
25 editions published between 1937 and 2008 in 4 languages and held by 462 libraries worldwide
Tears and Saints focuses not on martyrs or heroes but on the mystics - primarily female - famous for their keening spirituality and intimate knowledge of God. Their Christianity was anti-theological, anti-institutional, and based on intuition and sentiment. Many, such as Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, and Saint John of the Cross, have produced classic works of mystical literature; but Cioran celebrates many more minor and unusual figures as well.

All gall is divided : gnomes and apothegms by E. M Cioran ( Book )
54 editions published between 1952 and 2007 in 7 languages and held by 426 libraries worldwide