Egoists, A Book of Supermen Stendhal, Baudelaire, Flaubert, Anatole France, Huysmans, Barrès, Nietzsche, Blake, Ibsen, Stirner, and Ernest Hello

"Egoists, A Book of Supermen" by James Huneker is a compilation of essays offering insights into the lives and works of influential thinkers and writers like Stendhal, Flaubert, and Nietzsche. Huneker examines what made these figures exceptional within literature and philosophy. One essay spotlights Stendhal, revealing the contrast between his deep understanding of psychology and his ordinary looks. It looks at his dual nature as both a romantic and a critic, highlighting the impact of this contrast on his literary creations. The collection as a whole sets the stage with the first essay by promising a close look at the relationship between the personalities of these literary giants, their creative processes, and the societies they inhabited.