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cocopopsmonkey's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
4.0
chapters 1-3 are for the classical historians im afraid-- which is not me-- but 4, 5 and especially the notes section were fantastic. My only complaint is the long-winded, convoluted, and roundabout way in which Adorno et. Horkheimer approach explaining things. You'd think with them being branded as elitist they'd have taken it down a notch.
allysonclark's review against another edition
Great book! A difficult but worthwhile read.
casparb's review against another edition
4.0
Ok so I hope we can be a bit more mature than flinging the jazz criticism about. I think we're all a little tired of that.
Some of these essays are very wonderful and The Culture Industry is absolutely one of the best essays of the 20th century. I think I was a little intimidated by this book but its not quite so fearsome as it is sometimes described.
Anyway the first essay - which establishes this principle of the dialectic of Enlightenment - is genuinely very impressive and original. Adorno does pay due deference to Nietzsche but its certainly a meaningful expansion. Adorno/Horkheimer expect the reader to follow the conceptual structures that this essay establishes throughout the book, which is difficult at times, but never is the concept lost.
Second essay is a rather novel reading of the Odyssey. Enjoyed that. Third essay on Juliette/Sade/Nietzsche didn't do an awful lot for me but such is the way. Fourth and fifth are The Culture Industry (fantastic, ever-relevant) and the antisemitism piece which is also very impressive, and manages to broaden itself beyond recognising traits (whether structural or individual) to origins, psychoanalytic, and then circling back to the initial dialectic of Enlightenment itself. Very impressive writing.
Some of these essays are very wonderful and The Culture Industry is absolutely one of the best essays of the 20th century. I think I was a little intimidated by this book but its not quite so fearsome as it is sometimes described.
Anyway the first essay - which establishes this principle of the dialectic of Enlightenment - is genuinely very impressive and original. Adorno does pay due deference to Nietzsche but its certainly a meaningful expansion. Adorno/Horkheimer expect the reader to follow the conceptual structures that this essay establishes throughout the book, which is difficult at times, but never is the concept lost.
Second essay is a rather novel reading of the Odyssey. Enjoyed that. Third essay on Juliette/Sade/Nietzsche didn't do an awful lot for me but such is the way. Fourth and fifth are The Culture Industry (fantastic, ever-relevant) and the antisemitism piece which is also very impressive, and manages to broaden itself beyond recognising traits (whether structural or individual) to origins, psychoanalytic, and then circling back to the initial dialectic of Enlightenment itself. Very impressive writing.
rc90041's review against another edition
4.0
Horkheimer's and Adorno's musings from their time hanging out in L.A. during/after the War.
lxmn_s's review against another edition
a/h are such cranky men, and i think this is the very essence of critical theory lol