The Invigorating Strangeness of Friedrich Nietzsche

Nietzsche did all he could to prevent us from bringing his works together to form a stable theoretical edifice, and those seeking to unlock his philosophical secrets have always had to look to his life as much as his writings. Wagner was working on his massive Ring Cycle at the time, but he enjoyed having the star-struck young professor as a house-guest, at least until Nietzsche started trying to impress him with his own musical compositions. After that Nietzsche turned to someone his own age: a German Jew called Paul Rée (some relation of mine) who opened his eyes to the challenges of English utilitarianism, the allure of French style, and the pleasures of life in Italy.

Source: www.prospectmagazine.co.uk