/lit/ - Literature

Mrs Crane rates The Prince 1/5

Recommends it for: 30 y.o. gamers who like to dress up as warlocks.

I expected something much different from reading The Prince. Machiavelli was secretary to the second chancery of the Republic of Florence. 15 years later he was banished from his political career when power was returned to the Medici. In his desperate and sad attempt to stay politically connected, which seemed to be the only thing of importance in his life, he wrote this discourse and dedicated it to The Prince (Lorenzo de'Medici).
As another reviewer put it most of his writings and advice seems to be common sense. I read it just for the sake of reading it, and truly tried to enjoy and understand as much as possible, but unless you have a liking to Renaissance political history I don't think it would be much of an interesting subject for today's modern reader. I started reading it in the first place because my most favorite quote comes from this book...or so I thought because I didn't find it, and I read every word!
"If an injury has to be done to a man, it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared."

Each time I turned a page I had to take deep oxygen-rich breaths. It was painful and unnecessary to read. It's a book a sad and lonely man wrote to keep busy and feel somewhat validated and politically worthy. I wonder what Lorenzo's reaction and response was to this dedication.
I guess his philosophy can be applied to any aspect of modern day management. If you seek to stretch it out and take it that far.

Reading this book I was able to perfect the art of speed reading while thinking about totally unrelated personal problems at the same time.


Another quote by Machiavelli
"for fortune is a woman and in order to be mastered she must be jogged and beaten."
...Nice, Niccolo. nice.

He need not be worried about my vengeance, because the injury was indeed severe.