Marx in Soho: A Play on History [Paperback]

Howard Zinn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1999

Don't you ever wonder: why is it necessary to declare me dead again and again?

The premise of this witty and insightful "play on history" is that Karl Marx has agitated with the authorities of the afterlife for a chance to clear his name. Through a bureaucratic error, though, Marx is sent to Soho in New York, rather than his old stomping ground in London, to make his case.

Zinn introduces us to Marx's wife, Jenny, his children, the anarchist Mikhail Bakunin, and a host of other characters.

Marx in Soho is a brilliant introduction to Marx's life, his analysis of society, and his passion for radical change. Zinn also shows how relevant Marx's ideas are for today's world.

Historian and activist Howard Zinn is the author of the bestselling A People's History of the United States and numerous other writings. He recently received the Eugene V. Debs and Lannan Foundation awards for his writing and political activism. He is also the author of Emma, a play about Emma Goldman, in the anthology Playbook (South End Press).

Praise for Marx in Soho:

"An imaginative critique of our society's hypocrisies and injustices, and an entertaining, vivid portrait of Karl Marx as a voice of humanitarian justice - which is perhaps the best way to remember him."-Kirkus Reviews

"A cleverly imagined call to reconsider socialist theory... Zinn's point is well made; his passion for history melds with his political vigor to make this a memorable effort and a lucid primer for readers desiring a succinct, dramatized review of Marxism."-Publishers Weekly

"Even in heaven it seems, Karl Marx is a troublemaker. But in the deft and loving hands of activist/author/historian Howard Zinn, the historical figure... is also a father, a husband and a futurist possessing a grand sense of humor."-ForeWord

"A witty delight that will engage both new and old acquaintances of the Marxian corpus.... Even conservatives will find Zinn's [book]... an intelligent and diverting read. Recommended for academic and public libraries alike."-Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The conceit of this one-man play by historian Howard Zinn is that Karl Marx has been brought back to life--but, through a bureaucratic mix-up, winds up not in the Soho district of London where he lived and worked in the 19th century, but the modern-day SoHo district of New York City. Mostly, Marx takes the opportunity to point out to the audience how the predictions of his economic theory have come to pass: "Did I not say, a hundred and fifty years ago, that capitalism would enormously increase the wealth of society, but that this wealth would be concentrated in fewer and fewer hands?" But Zinn also sheds some light on the relationships between Marx and his wife, Jenny, and daughter, Eleanor. Slim and curious, but with an entertaining touch.

From Publishers Weekly

Taking his inspiration from Karl Marx's stay in London's Soho district after his exile from the Continent, Zinn's (A People's History of the United States) one-man play reads like a first-person memoir narrated by a distinctive voice. Laid out on the page as seamless monologue, it envisions Marx in the Soho district of New York in the present, where his mind reels at the same capitalist injustices that boggled him 150 years ago. The wizened and ailing Marx discourses on the economic state of the modern-day U.S., heatedly decrying the vast disparity between rich and poor and the corrupt, systematic funneling of the wealth that workers earn into the hands of capitalists. Through cascading recollections, we learn of Marx's devoted marriage, his love for his children and his stormy debates with Mikhail Bakunin, a fellow radical whose concept of a revolution of the spleen rather than the intellect makes Marx seem cold by comparison. These nuggets of personal information yield warmth and mettle where the dialectical prose gets heavy-handed. Often, the doctrines espoused threaten to overwhelm Zinn's expressed mission to expose Marx's human side. Zinn is, after all, reissuing Marx's socialist critique to apply to modern America and, along the way, revising Marxist doctrine by imagining the theorist himself rethinking some of his more off-the-mark notions. Most often it is Marx's critical wife, Jenny, and brilliant daughter Eleanor who take him to task when he fumbles. With Zinn's hefty prologue and scholarly but pointed reading list, the text is a cleverly imagined call to reconsider socialist theory as a valid philosophy in these times. Zinn's point is well made; his passion for history melds with his political vigor to make this a memorable effort and a lucid primer for readers desiring a succinct, dramatized review of Marxism. (Mar.) FYI: Actor Matt Damon is coproducing a TV adaptation of A People's History. Zinn recently won a Lannan Foundation Literary Award for Nonfiction.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 88 pages
• Publisher: South End Press; annotated edition edition (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896085937
• ISBN-13: 978-0896085930
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,335 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Howard Zinn (1922-2010) was a historian, playwright, and activist. He wrote the classic A People's History of the United States, "a brilliant and moving history of the American people from the point of view of those ... whose plight has been largely omitted from most histories" (Library Journal). The book, which has sold more than two million copies, has been featured on The Sopranos and Simpsons, and in the film Good Will Hunting. In 2009, History aired The People Speak, an acclaimed documentary co-directed by Zinn, based on A People's History and a companion volume, Voices of a People's History of the United States.

Zinn grew up in Brooklyn in a working-class, immigrant household. At 18 he became a shipyard worker and then flew bomber missions during World War II. These experiences helped shape his opposition to war and passion for history. After attending college under the GI Bill and earning a Ph.D. in history from Columbia, he taught at Spelman, where he became active in the civil rights movement. After being fired by Spelman for his support for student protesters, Zinn became a professor of Political Science at Boston University, were he taught until his retirement in 1988.

Zinn was the author of many books, including an autobiography, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train, the play Marx in Soho, and Passionate Declarations. He received the Lannan Foundation Literary Award for Nonfiction and the Eugene V. Debs award for his writing and political activism.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A moving, funny defense of Marx, November 22, 1999

By 

SG "science junkie" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marx in Soho: A Play on History (Paperback)

I attended the first performance of "Marx in Soho" and was thrilled to find it brilliant, funny, and dead-on politically. Zinn gives Marx an opportunity to defend himself against modern-day critics who claim that his theories led to the atrocities of state capitalist regimes. Those familiar with Marx will be particularly entertained; those new to socialist ideas may find themselves moved to action. Catch the next performance - Dec. 9-11, Chopin Theater, Chicago.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty and Enjoyable : Zinn and Marx together!, May 10, 2001

By 

Rania Masri (Lebanon (the country)) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Marx in Soho: A Play on History (Paperback)

AH! In typical Zinn fashion, "Marx in Soho" is a joy to read, especially for those of us who are already familiar with Marx. I would not recommend this book as "the first book on Marx" - but rather as a definite book to be included in any collection on Marx or on socialism, and, especially, in any collection of Zinn's brilliant and empowering works.

The one-man play is also a true pleasure to watch!

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marxalogue, May 21, 2002

By 

stephen Ornelas (Costa Mesa, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marx in Soho: A Play on History (Paperback)

ZInn is an extrordinary researcher/writer. One cannot merely breeze thru his work, along the way past the prologue, he/she gets absorbed - becomes part of the history.

in marx in soho - zinn takes a somewhat fictional attempt at bringing out Marx in a contemporary society. The monologue is short enough to breeze thru on an hour bus ride - that's how i read it.