THE BOOK AGAINST DEATH by Elias Canetti | Book Review

A book review of Elias Canetti's The Book Against Death (New Directions, 2024), trans. Peter Filkins.

Softcover, 432 pages
Published by New Directions in 2024
ISBN: 0811237990

#eliascanetti #thebookagainstdeath #newdirections #peterfilkins #bookreview

[travelthroughstories]

Sorry about the audio quality on this one. No idea what happened.

[kendawooda]

I am begging and pleading on my knees for you to do a favorite books of the year video. The last one you did I still use. Also great review as always!

[NateZipp]

Thank you so much for your work. It’s great seeing you back on YouTube again .

[EricKarlAnderson]

As you say, it must feel poignant reading the entries year upon year knowing that Canetti himself was getting even closer to his own inevitable death. You're right that he transcends his own death through the persistence of his words, but isn't it also ironic he spent so much time writing this and pouring his hours into it rather than actively living? I guess it depends on what you consider quality living. I like how you consider the way these writings can be perceived alternately as absurd and powerful. A fascinating overview, compelling passages and discussion from you, as always. Maybe one day we'll get an unabridged version of his text. I've never read Canetti but always wanted to read Auto-da-Fe for the strange reason that I love author Fay Weldon's memoir Auto da Fay which self-consciously played upon Canetti's title. Great to see you making another video, Sean!

[Contextcatcher]

Great review! Thank you!

But... I missed an important point. The reason that you don't mentioned it is also how Canetti in most of his work, implicit relates to it. It's that thing he only wrote explicit in Crowds and Power: commands.

"Commands are older than speech"

A command only can exit to its ultimum because there's death. For Canetti a command leaves a sting behind, this sting is an affect of resentment.

With Crowds and Power he wrote a book against commands by showing the deadly power of it.

A command against death is absurd. But making us aware of how death rules our consciousness is a task only a great writer can do.

In the Earwitness Canetti wrote 50 'absurd' characters, the last one is like a comic selfie: it's called The Never-Must.

[ruanstrydom]

Great review, Sean!Never heard of this book before.In your previous video, you said that you were busy reading the obscene bird of night.Just curious whether you finished it and what your thoughts on it, is.Thanks for your awesome channel.Because of you, I discovered some interesting and unique books eg Vesaas's the birds and Agota Kristof's trilogy to name a few.I hope your channel grows in number.Cant wait to see your future content.All the best.

[mcrumph]

You are right. That is a very silly book. Do not blame death for humanities idiocies. In fact, death is the only just thing in life: young or old, rich or poor, moronic or intelligent, death will, in its own time, tap you on your shoulder. Death is the only companion we have throughout our whole life, that witnesses all we do, all we think, all we feel. I have been in a number of situations where I didn't die; death is patient. Now I have been diagnosed with cancer & have decided not to undergo treatment because, until that tap comes, I want to live a life to my standards, not be beaten down by drugs & radiation to the point where I am an invalid. My mother & grandmother both died of Alzheimer's & that way I will not go. So, come, my friend, let us take these last steps together.