Revolution at the Gates

Selected Writings of Lenin from 1917

Nonfiction, History, Reference, Historiography, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Government, Communism & Socialism, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Political
Cover of the book Revolution at the Gates by V.I. Lenin, Verso Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: V.I. Lenin ISBN: 9781844678181
Publisher: Verso Books Publication: May 20, 2014
Imprint: Verso Language: English
Author: V.I. Lenin
ISBN: 9781844678181
Publisher: Verso Books
Publication: May 20, 2014
Imprint: Verso
Language: English

The idea of a Lenin renaissance might well provoke an outburst of sarcastic laughter. Marx is OK, but Lenin? Doesn’t he stand for the big catastrophe which left its mark on the entire twentieth-century?

Lenin, however, deserves wider consideration than this, and his writings of 1917 are testament to a formidable political figure. They reveal his ability to grasp the significance of an extraordinary moment in history. Everything is here, from Lenin-the-ingenious-revolutionary-strategist to Lenin-of-the-enacted-utopia. To use Kierkegaard’s phrase, what we can glimpse in these writings is Lenin-in-becoming: not yet Lenin-the-Soviet-institution, but Lenin thrown into an open, contingent situation.

In Revolution at the Gates, Slavoj Žižek locates the 1917 writings in their historical context, while his afterword tackles the key question of whether Lenin can be reinvented in our era of “cultural capitalism.” Žižek is convinced that, whatever the discussion—the forthcoming crisis of capitalism, the possibility of a redemptive violence, the falsity of liberal tolerance—Lenin’s time has come again.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The idea of a Lenin renaissance might well provoke an outburst of sarcastic laughter. Marx is OK, but Lenin? Doesn’t he stand for the big catastrophe which left its mark on the entire twentieth-century?

Lenin, however, deserves wider consideration than this, and his writings of 1917 are testament to a formidable political figure. They reveal his ability to grasp the significance of an extraordinary moment in history. Everything is here, from Lenin-the-ingenious-revolutionary-strategist to Lenin-of-the-enacted-utopia. To use Kierkegaard’s phrase, what we can glimpse in these writings is Lenin-in-becoming: not yet Lenin-the-Soviet-institution, but Lenin thrown into an open, contingent situation.

In Revolution at the Gates, Slavoj Žižek locates the 1917 writings in their historical context, while his afterword tackles the key question of whether Lenin can be reinvented in our era of “cultural capitalism.” Žižek is convinced that, whatever the discussion—the forthcoming crisis of capitalism, the possibility of a redemptive violence, the falsity of liberal tolerance—Lenin’s time has come again.

More books from Verso Books

Cover of the book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by V.I. Lenin
Cover of the book The End of Policing by V.I. Lenin
Cover of the book The Russian Revolution by V.I. Lenin
Cover of the book Intent to Deceive by V.I. Lenin
Cover of the book The Burning Forest by V.I. Lenin
Cover of the book Dead Children Playing by V.I. Lenin
Cover of the book Revolution in Our Lifetime by V.I. Lenin
Cover of the book Collected Works, Volume 1 by V.I. Lenin
Cover of the book Infinitely Demanding by V.I. Lenin
Cover of the book None of Us Were Like This Before by V.I. Lenin
Cover of the book The Future by V.I. Lenin
Cover of the book Samuel Beckett by V.I. Lenin
Cover of the book A Walk Through Paris by V.I. Lenin
Cover of the book What Goes Up by V.I. Lenin
Cover of the book The Invention of the White Race, Volume 2 by V.I. Lenin
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy