It’s a great shame that so few philosophers are any good at writing. Half the time, if you want to get a handle on the foundational ideas of Western civilization, you have to slog through pages of turgid and graceless prose.
Mercifully, one of Western philosophy’s indisputable touchstones fits into a slender and elegant little book, as soulful and touching as it is profound. It has all the urgency of tragic drama and all the humanity of a classic novella. The character studies in it are drawn by a true master of the form, and its aching sadness is part of its wisdom. You’ll never forget reading it for the first time.