Amy's Reviews > Meditations: With Selected Correspondence

Full review available at warmdayswillnevercease.wordpress.com

I found this book very interesting. Far more interesting than I expected to if I’m honest. It was fascinating to read Aurelius’ thoughts and his ideas about self-improvement. He’s very self-reflective and, knowing that this was his private musings, he’s very honest with himself. I loved Aurelius’ writing style. I’m not sure if it’s due to the translation but the style is very straightforward and simple. Some sections are still relatable today, which I always find fascinating with texts that are so old, and Aurelius gives out some decent life advice too. Here are three of my favourite sections from the book:

Cast everything else aside, then, and hold to these few truths alone; and remember, furthermore, that each of us lives only in the present, this fleeting moment of time, and that the rest of one’s life has either already been lived or lies in an unknowable future. The space of each person’s existence is thus a little thing, and little too is the corner of the earth on which it is lived, and little too even the fame that endures for the longest… (3.10)

Love the art that you have learned and take your rest in it. (4.31)

You should not be disgusted, or lose heart, or give up if you are not wholly successful in accomplishing every action according to correct principles, but when you are thwarted, return to the struggle, and be well contented if for the most part your actions are worthier of human nature. (5.9)

Some sections of this book really resonated with me and some felt completely alien. It was a wonderful reading experience to read the thoughts of just one man who lived in a time and world strange to me. I’d recommend reading it simply because it’s an insight into Aurelius’ world. I’m not sure if ‘enjoyable’ is the right word for this book but it was very interesting and I feel like I’ve learnt a lot.