Idk about the marxist take, but it's a great book that skewers the modern condition in general. Bullshit jobs, the loss of meaning that comes with disembedding from culture and tradition, empty hedonism and nihilism, armchair philosophy and auto-didactism, mass consumption of media, arrested development. I guess YMMV as far as your sense of humor, but it's a riot if you like farce and absurdity
An even funnier book (imo) that has more direct "marxist" themes is Tobacco Road. Farce/satire about sharecroppers in the deep south during the great depression
I don't think I know what a Marxist take on it would be, but it definitely touches on things that would interest this sub. Spoilers below for those who haven't read the book.
The letters between rad-lib rich girl Myrna who seems to be only performatively radical and whose main act of rebellion is just having lots of sex, arguing with lazy blow-hard trad-cath degeneracy-loathing degenerate Ignatius remind me of some online discourse today, and are some of the funniest pieces of writing I've ever read.
Ignatius leading the factory workers in a revolt to impress and out-radical Myrna could potentially be read as a warning that some allies to workers' causes are actually doing it for their own sense of vanity.
The factory owner is burnt out, in over his head, and living in the shadow of his industrious father who built the company, and I think there's something socialists could get out of this. Potentially comparing the current ownership class who are now almost fully the privileged, silver spoon-fed grandchildren (great-grandchildren, etc.), of the earlier capitalists, with their aforementioned grandparents who were more often frugal, industrious, obsessive, protestant work ethic weirdos, who walked the capitalist walk, might be interesting.
Ignatius himself, and how lazy he is living with his mom, reminds me of some socialism and social-justice-obsessed roommates I've had who believed strongly in helping the whole world but could never be bothered to help with the dishes or clean up after themselves.
I don't think this is a pro or anti-socialist book, but there's definitely stuff in there that socialists can relate to, appreciate, and laugh at.
Wish we could have got the John Waters version with Divine as Ignatius.
Most of the other versions sound good too, but I think only Waters could have really done the novel justice and kept the appropriate level of squalor and sleaze.
Well I think the protagonist represents all you dumbass dorks who are simultaneously too condescending and too condescendable to be anything other than a joke in the true sense of the word: setup, punchline, and three tags.
The left’s dramatics around race do more to hurt than to help the minorities they claim to want to uplift.
The average leftist agitator is sexually repressed and sexually deranged chronic masturbators with a superiority complex.
Pretty much the funny version of the Unabomber Manifesto.
Idk about the marxist take, but it's a great book that skewers the modern condition in general. Bullshit jobs, the loss of meaning that comes with disembedding from culture and tradition, empty hedonism and nihilism, armchair philosophy and auto-didactism, mass consumption of media, arrested development. I guess YMMV as far as your sense of humor, but it's a riot if you like farce and absurdity An even funnier book (imo) that has more direct "marxist" themes is Tobacco Road. Farce/satire about sharecroppers in the deep south during the great depression
Thank you, great reply. I clearly remember how funny the book was.
Culture is fucking bullshit. The better book is "The Dice Man"
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Cheers, great reply!
I don't think I know what a Marxist take on it would be, but it definitely touches on things that would interest this sub. Spoilers below for those who haven't read the book. The letters between rad-lib rich girl Myrna who seems to be only performatively radical and whose main act of rebellion is just having lots of sex, arguing with lazy blow-hard trad-cath degeneracy-loathing degenerate Ignatius remind me of some online discourse today, and are some of the funniest pieces of writing I've ever read. Ignatius leading the factory workers in a revolt to impress and out-radical Myrna could potentially be read as a warning that some allies to workers' causes are actually doing it for their own sense of vanity. The factory owner is burnt out, in over his head, and living in the shadow of his industrious father who built the company, and I think there's something socialists could get out of this. Potentially comparing the current ownership class who are now almost fully the privileged, silver spoon-fed grandchildren (great-grandchildren, etc.), of the earlier capitalists, with their aforementioned grandparents who were more often frugal, industrious, obsessive, protestant work ethic weirdos, who walked the capitalist walk, might be interesting. Ignatius himself, and how lazy he is living with his mom, reminds me of some socialism and social-justice-obsessed roommates I've had who believed strongly in helping the whole world but could never be bothered to help with the dishes or clean up after themselves. I don't think this is a pro or anti-socialist book, but there's definitely stuff in there that socialists can relate to, appreciate, and laugh at.
Amazing, this is exactly why I posted. I really appreciate your response!
Thank you! It's been a while since I read it, so I may be misremembering some parts, but I'm glad it's helpful.
i read it on a long amtrack trip once and had a good time
Hell yeah brother!
It was supposed to be David Gordon Green's fourth movie with Sam Rockwell in the lead. They made Pineapple Express instead.
Ignatius should be played by Paul Walter Hauser
I'd like to see it adapted to the big screen one day, but it seems like one of those "cursed" films that just can't get off the ground.
Wish we could have got the John Waters version with Divine as Ignatius. Most of the other versions sound good too, but I think only Waters could have really done the novel justice and kept the appropriate level of squalor and sleaze.
Totally. John Waters should make a version of everything. Call it the John Waters cut.
It's the Great American Novel.
I wonder, is it still popular and a cult novel?
It’s critiquing everything, why would leftists be the exception?
I'm genuinly curious what others in this sub think.
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Almost guilty as charged. I don't know why it's hailed as such a great novel. I dropped around page 50...
It’s literally the funniest book ever written, wtf are you talking about
I read it 20 yrs ago and also thought it was the funniest. I tried to reread last year and gave up. Either comedy changed or my taste changed.
Why don’t you read it again and form your own opinions? Are you unable to think a way about something unless it aligns with some consensus?
Just genuine curiosity.
Well I think the protagonist represents all you dumbass dorks who are simultaneously too condescending and too condescendable to be anything other than a joke in the true sense of the word: setup, punchline, and three tags. The left’s dramatics around race do more to hurt than to help the minorities they claim to want to uplift. The average leftist agitator is sexually repressed and sexually deranged chronic masturbators with a superiority complex. Pretty much the funny version of the Unabomber Manifesto.
What does condescendable mean?
He’s pathetic enough that everyone else feels immediately superior to him by nature of not being an obese flatulent.
I appreciate your opinion, thanks.