Part of the series of biographies of Karl Marx.
Love and Capital: Karl and Jenny Marx and the Birth of a Revolution
Brilliantly researched and wonderfully written, LOVE AND CAPITAL is a heartbreaking and dramatic saga of the family side of the man whose works would redefine the world after his death.
Drawing upon years of research, acclaimed biographer Mary Gabriel brings to light the story of Karl and Jenny Marx's marriage. We follow them as they roam Europe, on the run from governments amidst an age of revolution and a secret network of would-be revolutionaries, and see Karl not only as an intellectual, but as a protective father and loving husband, a revolutionary, a jokester, a man of tremendous passions, both political and personal.
In LOVE AND CAPITAL, Mary Gabriel has given us a vivid, resplendent, and truly human portrait of the Marxes-their desires, heartbreak and devotion to each other's ideals.
Comments
This is a great book! It
This is a great book! It reveals how theory (as a generally overlooked activity) is in reality a labor of love, comradeship and solidarity. Theorizing is never something done alone, in isolation & comfort and many historically celebrated products of theoretical work, which served the working class and revolution, usually came with painful sacrifices. Das Kapital is a great example of that.
Also, here is a little personal detail about how Marx worked that many may find soothing: Marx almost always missed deadlines. He tended to insanely procrastinate and escape from work whenever a deadline dreadfully emerges on the time horizon... So when a professor or someone else asks you about your writing tell them that!
I loved this book (and I
I loved this book (and I don't generally enjoy biographies.) Maybe it should be subtitles Engels To The Rescue! because there were three people in that relationship :)
It does a very good job of humanizing the Marx family, as well as slotting it really well into a timeline of all the relevant historical events as well as illuminating the process of how Capital came about (slowly and disappearing down many different tangents.) The family's life was blighted by heartrending tragedies but there were places in this book that also made me laugh out loud. I'd recommend this one, it's well worth reading.