First published 1846
Søren Kierkegaard opens his private journals as a young student in Copenhagen, wrestling with questions that will consume his lifetime. Through personal reflections spanning decades, he documents his intellectual and spiritual development. The entries reveal his growing conflict with the conventional Christianity his father practiced. Kierkegaard rejects these inherited beliefs and develops his concept of the leap of faith necessary for genuine religious conviction. His writing combines theoretical arguments with observations of the natural world and sharp wit. These private pages capture thoughts he never dared publish during his lifetime, showing a freedom of expression absent from his public works. The journals chronicle the internal struggles that would later inform Either/Or, his exploration of life's fundamental choices. Through theoretical debates with himself and vivid descriptions of his surroundings, Kierkegaard pursues his central quest to discover a personal truth that transcends abstract philosophy.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, christianity, 19th-century, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, inner-conflict, self-discovery
Setting: Copenhagen
Period: 19th-Century
704 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics