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Matthew Bell

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Reposted by: Matthew Bell, Simon Glendinning

princetonupress.bsky.social
Goethe: A Life in Ideas by @matthewgbell.bsky.social gets a sharp, illuminating review from Ritchie Robertson in @litreview.bsky.social! “Deeply learned, crisply written.” Read it here: literaryreview.co.uk/darkness-light-2
Ritchie Robertson - Darkness & Light
Ritchie Robertson: Darkness & Light - Goethe: A Life in Ideas by Matthew Bell
literaryreview.co.uk
4 5

by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
‘many strengths’, ‘great lucidity’, ‘clear eyed’, ‘deeply learned, crisply written biography’, ‘it will henceforth be among the indispensable studies of Goethe’.

by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
literaryreview.co.uk/darkness-lig...
My 'Goethe: A Life in Ideas' reviewed by Ritchie Robertson in the Literary Review
Ritchie Robertson - Darkness & Light
Ritchie Robertson: Darkness & Light - Goethe: A Life in Ideas by Matthew Bell
literaryreview.co.uk
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
I thought it was Denis, after a heavy night.
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Reposted by: Matthew Bell

princetonupress.bsky.social
In this important and ambitious work, @matthewgbell.bsky.social offers a wide-ranging intellectual biography of Goethe, tracing the evolution of his thought and reassessing its value.

Out now! Explore a free sample: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
Goethe: A Life in Ideas by Matthew Bell. A new intellectual biography of Goethe, examining the paradox of his thought.
4 5

by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
Published today by the good folk at Princeton.
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
Only 8 days to wait until the publication of this baby
Cover image of Matthew Bell's book 'Goethe: A Life in Ideas', showing a marble bust of Goethe
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
Done. Thanks for the prompt.
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
That was my dad’s favourite beer. Enjoy!
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
Definitely Volvos do this.
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
“Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing among Elves and Dwarves and another among Men.”
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
‘Do not make the patient suspect that he has melancholy. Rather just treat him for indigestion; help him against his excessive belief, terror and joy; and keep him from [too much] thinking’ (al-Razi, 'Comprehensive Book', c. 900 CE, quoting Rufus of Ephesus, 'On Melancholia', c. 100 CE)
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
I’m increasingly thinking that AI is going to be a blessing for universities. The output of LLMs shows us, clear as day, how much better our students can do things if we teach and assess them well.
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
In a way this is a relief. The Meta AI engine has been trained on my book, but thankfully hasn’t been able to say anything useful about it.
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
Utter drivel and pap. And some of it just made up. The book only mentions Benjamin once in passing. It also says very little about Freud.
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
Uh oh. Here we go.
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
If revenge is best served cold, this was piping hot.

by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
At a stroke Reform have removed the whip from 20% of their MPs.
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
Talking of which, anyone heard from Liz Truss lately?

by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
Currently indexing this. Sure am gonna miss it when it’s published.
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
I bought all the Joy Division and early New Order releases when they came out. Playing them tonight on my 1970s-style hifi. A refurbed Technics SL1200Mk2, an original Yamaha CA-2000 amp from the late ‘70s, and modern but 1970s-style JBL speakers.
Joy Division and New Order records stacked in front of a big 1970s hifi system

by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
Goethe to Charlotte von Stein, 1 December 1807
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
“Sorry, I know you’re busy, but I’ve got this really great idea about a meal you could make me.”
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
Someone has to say Dominic Cummings.
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j... Glowing review of the brilliant Keon West’s new book.
www.theguardian.com
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by Matthew Bell — Reposted by: Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
press.princeton.edu/books/hardco... Very excited about this, and deep thanks to the fantastic folk at Princeton for making it happen.
Goethe
A new intellectual biography of Goethe, examining the paradox of his thought
press.princeton.edu
7 15

by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
2024 recedes into the distance. Between Land’s End and Cape Cornwall
1

by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
I’m feeling less of an idiot though, as our local pharmacist cut the end of her finger off with a kitchen knife last night.
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
This morning’s team meeting did not discuss the possibility of the main distribution board tripping, electricity going off throughout the house and an expensive emergency electrician being called.
Thumbs up (sic) to the electrician though, who was excellent.
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by Matthew Bell

matthewgbell.bsky.social
I held a team meeting with myself this morning to discuss health and safety. A risk assessment identified super-sharp Japanese kitchen knives as the main concern.

Like an idiot I’ve just sliced the end of my thumb off. 👍🔪
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