Rius

Thank goodness my father has not picked up this book off my shelf! Of course he wouldn't. He doesn't go upstairs in my house, I suspect because at his age (86), he wants to conserve his energy. But if he had, I would have had a major melt-down on my hands. My father, mother, brother and I left Cuba only a few years after the revolution. I was somewhere between 2 and 3 years old, and my brother a year younger. I've heard all the stories, I've even taped my parents talking about their life show more there, and I've collected a number of books about Cuban history which I keep meaning to get to... I picked up "Cuba for Beginners" at a library bookstore, and happened to be looking for something relatively easy and short to read yesterday, and there it was on my shelf. It is a 'comic history'-type book, not my favorite way to read about history, in fact, not my favorite way to read at all. Not that I'm against that type of book, it's just that I find it distracting to read about history while looking at idea and conversation bubbles, and drawings that for the most part are not very good. Also because of the format of this type of book, everything is simplified and abbreviated to such a degree that I feel somewhat skeptical of any information presented in this way.
This book also has the highly (to a Cuban emigre) irritating factor of being extremely pro-Castro and anti-US. I'm not naive about the US exploitation of Cuba pre-Castro, and the wholly selfish designs the US has had towards Cuba, but some of the excuses/explanations given in this book are just ludicrous. So all Cuban citizens 'voluntarily' work for free to help their country? (Not according to my cousins, forced on these 'voluntary' work sabbaticals, usually hard labor in the fields). The Castro government confiscated 'superfluous' houses from people with more than one home to house those without houses, but offered to pay the owners the value of the house? (My grandfather didn't get paid, neither did my father's family--not only were the houses taken from them, but they weren't allowed to remove any of the furniture either.) All the people shot by firing squad in the wake of the revolution were murderers and got a trial? (When dozens of people were being executed in a day, I hardly think there was much time for a trial). Anyway, I could go on and on. About the only positive thing I can say about this book is that it makes me more interested in learning more about Cuba's history and what happened during the sixties. show less

Although a legendary figure in his native Mexico, Rius, the pen name for the writer, political cartoonist and communist intellectual Eduardo del Río García, is not well known in the United States (or probably Europe, either).

Despite the title, at least a little political savvy is necessary to fully understand Marx for Beginners. However, Rius provides a beautifully enjoyable (and quite funny) journey detailing the beginnings of the many threads of political theory that eventually show more influenced Karl Marx and/or his sidekick Frederich Engels. But the best part of the slender book has to be Rius’ cartoons and vintage illustrations. So highly recommended!

Marx for Beginners is the first of Rius’ book that I’ve read, but it won’t be the last. I’ve bought Diccionario de la estupidez humana (The Dictionary of Human Stupidity), Hitler Para Masoquistas (no translation needed) and Los Agachados (The Submissive), all of them in Spanish. So I’ll be entertained and improve my Spanish! A win-win! show less

Marx is a significant figure and it is as well to have a grasp of his philosophy. Surely, I hear you say, the best way to do that is to read Marx's writings. Have you tried reading Karl's oeuvre, without help?

Rius has produced a comic book style offering which contains a surprising amount of serious information. Topics which I have read in Marx's books suddenly make more sense. The book does use humour and is unashamedly pro Marx but, neither of these facts should, in any way, deter your show more reading of same. The text goes surprisingly deep but somehow remains comprehensible.

This is the first of the 'For Beginners' series that I have read, I shall certainly look out for other examples. show less

I don't get on well with philosophy and social sciences at the whole because words seem so imperfect and insubstantial compared to the simple beauty of formal and natural sciences, so my review isn't really objective. But I'm trying to fathom some basic ideas to not be plain stupid. This book works well in this case. It pays a lot of attention to history and evolution of philosophy which helps to understand difference between idealism and materialism, dialectical and metaphysical. I feel show more that this duality and antagonism are probably simplicated, but wiki page on "Metaphysics" causes me a headache, so this simplicity is welcome.
As for the Marx theory, it was not a revelation. Raised in post Soviet country, I happened to have a good grasp of this idea without really noticing it. It's strange that being born in the first years of independance I know every big phrases from this book. I even have a feeling that I've read The Communist Manifesto before, but it's impossible. Obviously, it's a knowledge of the Soviet time history. They really tried to build a socialism (or showed their trying), so big reforms, especially the early ones, correspond well to the manifesto.
Said it, I don't understand author's occasional praising of Lenin. Because you cannot be serious to praise any man who tried to make Marx theories into practice.

So, I recommend this book who want to understand the basic principles, especially if you are bad in philosophy. Though, it's not very easy to read, but much better than usual school books. show less