EMIL M. CIORAN (1911-1995) was a Romanian philosopher who published works in both Romanian and French.  Professing a lack of interest in conventional philosophy in his early youth, Cioran dismissed abstract speculation in favor of personal reflection and passionate lyricism.  His first French book, A SHORT HISTORY OF DECAY (1949), was awarded the Rivarol Prize in 1950.  Soon after, he began to refuse every literary prize he was offered.  The Latin Quarter of Paris became his permanent residence and he lived much of his life in isolation.

His work is noted for its pervasive philosophical pessimism, and frequently engages with issues of suffering, decay, and nihilism.  However, Cioran's pessimism -- his skepticism, even nihilism -- remains both inexhaustible and, in its own particular manner, joyful; it is not the sort of pessimism which can be traced back to simple origins, single origins themselves being questionable.  Preoccupied with the problems of death and suffering, he was attracted to the idea of suicide, believing it to be an idea that could help one go on living, an idea which he fully explored in ON THE HEIGHTS OF DESPAIR (1934).  He revisits suicide in depth in THE NEW GODS (1969), which contains a section of aphorisms devoted to the subject.

William H. Gass called Cioran's work "a philosophical romance on the modern themes of alienation, absurdity, boredom, futility, decay, the tyranny of history, the vulgarities of change, awareness as agony, reason as disease".  Saint-John Perse called him "the greatest French writer to honor our language since the death of Paul Valéry."


The following books are in ePUB format unless otherwise noted:

* All Gall Is Divided (Arcade, 2012).  Translated by Richard Howard.

* Anathemas and Admirations (Arcade, 2012).  Translated by Richard Howard.

* Drawn and Quartered (Arcade, 2012).  Translated by Richard Howard.

* Fall Into Time, The (Quadrangle, 1970). Translated by Richard Howard. -- PDF

* History and Utopia (Arcade, 2015). Translated by Richard Howard.

* The New Gods (Arcade, 2013).  Translated by Richard Howard.

* On the Heights of Despair (Chicago, 1992). Translated by I. Zarifopol-Johnston. -- ePUB + PDF

* Short History of Decay, A (Arcade, 2012).  Translated by Richard Howard.

* Temptation To Exist, The (Arcade, 2013).  Translated by Richard Howard.

* Trouble With Being Born, The (Seaver, 2011).  Translated by Richard Howard.


NOTE: An update of my 2014 torrent.

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