Adventures in Marxism by Marshall Berman

When I picked up this book, I was hoping to read about some of the basics of Marxism and perhaps some tidbits about the life of the man himself. The picture on the cover indicates a sort of playfulness, and instead of a grueling book about oppression by the bourgeoisie, it is rather upbeat throughout. However, a straightforward book about Marxism it is not.

The forward is an insightful look at the author's life and what led him to embrace Marx, but the body of the book is taken up with critical essays of the works of other authors and how they vaguely relate to Marxism. I kept reading it, hoping for some sort of interesting nuggets along the way, but was disappointed and couldn't finish. The only chapter I really enjoying was the one critiquing the author's own work. The passion displayed for his own views is clear, making it easy to read and engaging.

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