Sartre was a well-known existentialist, author, and philosopher. He came to Marxism later in life in the 1950s and brought with him his existentialism. France's Marxist community embraced and accepted Lukac's version of Marxism. This book concentrates on Sartre's 1961 speech at the Gramsci Institute -- ‘La Conference de Rome, 1961: Marxisme et subjectiveté'. This speech was an attack on the views held by Lukac and Sartre's attempt to merge existentialism and Marxism.

The speech is rather short and surprisingly easy to read. I would suggest reading that first followed by the interviews, and then the preface. The preface assumes the reader is familiar with Sartre, Lukac, and Marxist philosophy, not just the political philosophy but a complete theory.

A worthwhile read for those interested in the evolution of Marist Theory, Sartre, or philosophy in general. It is a fairly difficult read for those with only a basic understanding of either of the above. Definitely not a book for everyone. ( )

What Is Subjectivity? is the transcript of a talk Jean-Paul Sartre gave in 1961. Also included are the transcripts of discussions which took place at the same conference and an afterword by Fredric Jameson which might be of particular interest to those wondering if Sartre still has any relevance today.

The idea of the subject and subjectivity seems to always be open to some kind of debate, particularly when used between disciplines. The questions in 1961 are still of interest today even though dominant thought has shifted considerably. Understanding Sartre's idea of subjectivity (as compared to some translations as subjective, which misses the point) can, I think, be of particular interest to students of literary theory.

I think this is a valuable addition for anyone interested in philosophy (particularly "continental" and existentialism) literary theory and cultural theory. Though I wouldn't recommend it as an introduction to Sartre I do believe it would be beneficial as an early read. It would also be accessible to those well-versed in literary theory as well.

Reviewed from an ARC made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )