A Book Review of Man on Fire

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A Review of Friedrich Nietzsche¶s

Thus Spoke Zarathustra



Abstract

Phil Nicholson¶s

M an on Fire



Chapter One

Introduction

1.1. Background of the Report

Synopsis

The novel opens when Zarathustra descending from his cave in the mountains after ten years of

solitude. He is brimming with wisdom and love, and wants to teach humanity about the overman. He

arrives in the town of the Motley Cow, and announces that the overman must be the meaning of the

earth. Mankind is just a bridge between animal and overman, and as such, must be overcome. The

overman is someone who is free from all the prejudices and moralities of human society, and who

creates his own values and purpose.

The people on the whole seem not to understand Zarathustra, and not to be interested in theoverman. The only exception is a tightrope walker who has fallen and who dies shortly

thereafter. At the end of his first day among people, Zarathustra is saddened by his inability tomove this "herd" of people in the marketplace. He resolves not to try to convert the multitudes,

but rather to speak to those individuals who are interested in separating themselves from theherd.

The bulk of the first three parts is made up of individual lessons and sermons delivered by

Zarathustra. They cover most of the general themes of Nietzsche's mature philosophy, thoughoften in highly symbolic and obscure form. He values struggle and hardship, since the road

toward the overman is difficult and requires a great deal of sacrifice. The struggle toward the

overman is often symbolically represented as climbing a mountain, and the light-hearted freespirit of the overman is often represented through laughter and dance.

Zarathustra is harshly critical of all kinds of mass movements, and of the "rabble" in general.

Christianity is based upon a hatred of the body and of this earth, and an attempt to deny them both by believing in the spirit and in an afterlife. Nationalism and mass politics are also means

by which weary, weak, or sick bodies try to escape from themselves. Those who are strong



enough, Zarathustra suggests, struggle. Those who are not strong give up and turn to religion,nationalism, democracy, or some other means of escape.

The culmination of Zarathustra's preaching is the doctrine of the eternal recurrence, which claims

that all events will repeat themselves again and again forevermore. Only the overman can

embrace this doctrine, since only the overman has the strength of will to take responsibility for every moment in his life and to wish nothing more than for each moment to be repeated.Zarathustra has trouble facing the eternal recurrence, as he cannot bear the thought that the

mediocrity of the rabble will be repeated through all eternity without improvement.

In Part IV, Zarathustra assembles in his cave a number of men who approximate, but who do notquite attain the position of the overman. There, they enjoy a feast and a number of songs. The

book ends with Zarathustra joyfully embracing the eternal recurrence, and the thought that "all joy wants deep, wants deep eternity."



In Italy, wealthy families often hire bodyguards to protect family members from the threat of

kidnapping. When Rika Balletto urges her husband Ettore, a wealthy textiles producer living in Milan, to

hire a bodyguard for their daughter Pinta, he is doubtful but agrees. After some searching, he finally

settles for an American named Creasy. His once purposeful and lethal companion has become a burnt-

out alcoholic. To keep him occupied, Guido suggests Creasy get a job, and offers to set him up as a

bodyguard; hence his being hired by the Ballettos, where he meets his charge, Pinta. Creasy barely

tolerates the precocious child and her pestering questions about him and his life. But slowly, she chips

away at his seemingly impenetrable exterior, his defenses drop, and he opens up to her. They become

friends and he replaces her parents in their absences, giving her advice, guidance and help with her

competition running; he is even spurred to give up his drinking and return to his former physical

prowess.

But Creasy's life is shattered when Pinta is kidnapped by the Mafia, despite his efforts to protect

her. Creasy is wounded during the kidnapping, and as he lies in a hospital bed Guido keeps him informed

of the goings on. Soon enough, Guido returns with the news that the exchange went bad, and Pinta was

found dead in a car, suffocated on her own vomit. She had also been raped by her captors. Out of

hospital, Creasy returns to Guido's pensione, and outlines his plans for revenge against the men who

took away the girl who convinced him it was all right to live again; anyone who was involved, or profited

from it, all the way to the top of the Mafia. Told by Guido he can stay with in-laws on the island of Gozo

in Malta, Creasy accepts the offer, in order to train for his new mission. While on Gozo, Creasy trains for

several months, getting into shape and re-familiarizing himself with weaponry. But, to his surprise, he

also discovers he has another reason to live after his suicidal mission against the Mafia; he finds himself

accepted by and admiring the Gozitans, and falls in love with Nadia, the daughter of his host. Soon



enough, he is fit and leaves for Marseilles where he stocks up on supplies, weapons and ammunition;

from there he travels back to Italy, and then the war between Creasy and the Mafia begins. From low-

level enforcers to the capos in Milan and Rome, and all the way to the head Don in Sicily, Creasy cuts

through their organization, murdering anyone who had something even remotely to do with Pinta's

kidnapping.

After Creasy reveals to Rika that Ettore allowed her to be kidnapped for the insurance money,

Ettore commits suicide. Finally, after killing the Don, a severely wounded Creasy is taken to hospital, but

pronounced dead; a funeral is held and Creasy is thought to be gone. But, unknown to all, Creasy was in

fact alive, and makes it back to Gozo where he is reunited with Nadia.

Characters

Major

*Creasy - The main character a bodyguard.*Ettore Balletto - The husband of the Balletto family.

*Rika Balletto - The wife of the Balletto family.*Pinta Balletto - The child of the Balletto family.

*Guido Arrellio - Creasy's friend and the owner of the Pensione Splendide in Naples.

*Maria - The cook at the Balletto house.

Minor

*Deluca - Pinta's schoolteacher.

*Giorgio Rabbia - One of Pinta's kidnappers, he works as the driver in the kidnapping.

* Giacomo Sandri - One of Pinta's kidnappers.

* Cremasco and Dorigo - Two of Pinta's kidnappers.

* Dino Fossella - one of the two main Milan-based mafia bosses of Cantarella's organization.

* V

ico M

ansutt

i - The lawyer for the Balletto family.* Gina Mansutti - Vico's wife.

* Mario Satta - A member of the Carabinieri, Satta tracks Creasy's movements.

* Massimo Bellu - Satta's assistant.

* Pietro - An ex-thief who works as an employee at Guido's pensione.

* Cantarella - The boss of the entire mafia organization, who is based out of Palermo, Sicily.

* Floriano Conti - A mafia boss in Rome and a member of Cantarella's organisation.



* Franco Masi - An owner of a farmhouse next to Villa Colacci, Cantarella's stronghold.

* Cesare Gravelli - One of Cantarella's main advisors.

1.2. Scope of the Report

Author¶s Name: Philip Nicholson

Born: 25 June 1940 Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England

Died: 10 July 2005 (aged 65) Gozo, Malta

Occupation: Novelist

Nationality: British

Genres: Thriller fiction

Notable work(s): Man on Fire, The Mahdi

2.1. Biographical Description of the Book

2.2. Physical Description of the Book

Author: Philip Nicholson (A. J. Quinnell)

Language: English

Series: Creasy

Genre(s): Thriller

Publisher: William Morrow

Publication date: September 1980

Media type: Print (Hardback & Paperback)

Pages: 284 pp (first edition, hardback)ISBN: ISBN 0-688-03743-7 (first edition, hardback)

OCLC Number: 6305089

Dewey Decimal: 813/.54

LC Classification: PS3567.U36 M3

Followed by: The Perfect Kill

A Book Review of Man on Fire

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