Could anyone help? Give some tips? I really want to read Capital, then move on to stuff like State/Revolution, Governance, etc.

I'm not really a fan of audiobooks (mostly because they're so monotone feeling... maybe I've not found the right ones?), but if I can't figure anything else out, I might go down that road.

My main issue is really just focus. I'll read a few paragraphs and enjoy it, then as I continue I slowly start drifting, no longer understanding the text, rereading over and over...

Anyways, I imagine some of you may have had this problem before, with how the internet and social media fucked our attention spans and all. Maybe if I could ever read Capital and all that, I could make comprehensive video versions for those like me...

Thanks in advance.

  • Bedandsofa [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    If you’re relatively new to reading Marx, there is no reason to rush to slog through Capital. Obviously it’s an important book, but you can get a good enough grasp on Marxist economics by reading his considerably shorter works “Wage Labour and Capital,” and “Value, Price, and Profit.” Once you’ve built up a familiarity with Marx’s style and ideas, it is much easier to get through his longer and more complex writing.

    Also, join a org or a Marxist reading club, student group, whatever. It’s much easier to learn in collaboration with others than blazing the trail on your own.

    • jmichigan_frog [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      I second this. Read some shorter Marx texts and compare how the phrases (e.g “relations of production”) get shared. Annotate if you’re reading print.

      Engels also wrote in a clearer style (imo): Principles of Communism and Utopian and Scientific Socialism are both helpful Marx digests. Also want to mention the Red Menace podcast, which focuses on explaining historical materialism.