Marxism and Modernism: An Historical Study of Lukács, Brecht, Benjamin, and Adorno [Paperback]

Eugene Lunn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 9, 1984

Explores the debate concerning realism and modernism in art and examines the efforts of four influential critics to develop Marxist theories of modern art.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The astute individual analyses arise from Lunns informed understanding of Marxism. In stressing the many intellectual connections and interactions among his four critics, Lunn creates a sense of a vital German Marxist intellectual community. -- American Literary Scholarship

The best introduction in English to this subject. -- American Historical Review

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press (November 9, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520053303
• ISBN-13: 978-0520053304
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,578,538 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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10 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Trip Across the Marxist Spectrum, October 6, 2000

By 

Panopticonman "panopticonman" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Marxism and Modernism: An Historical Study of Lukács, Brecht, Benjamin, and Adorno (Paperback)

A nice idea this. Take two pairs of Marxists, starting with a committed Soviet apologist (Lukac), moving across the spectrum toward a much less doctrinaire reading of Marx by dramatist Brecht. Then, compare and contrast the philosopher/mystic Benjamin who uses Marx as a way to think about the meaning of culture and technology, through to Adorno, the elitist who uses Marxism as a way to criticize consumerism as a manifestion of capitalist, and therefore, degraded, economic policies.

The discussion of Benjamin and Adorno is worth the price of admission here. The elitist aesthete Adorno's initial captivation with Benjamin's early Arcade Project notes, his later disaffection with Benjamin's positive reception of some elements of mass culture is clearly told.

Still, the prose can be somewhat daunting and dense. It takes some effort but the rewards are there for anyone interested in culture and politics in Germany between the wars. Of course, the influence of these thinkers extends well beyond this period, especially Adorno and Benjamin who were rediscovered by Marxists in the 60s. Benjamin, the more elliptical and mystical of the two,never fit neatly into the Marxist mold. Of the four, he remains the most interesting and least doctrinaire.