Reviews

The Holy Family: or Critique of Critical Critique by Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels

blueyorkie's review against another edition

3.0

A large part of the book “The Holy Family” had to dedicate to the novel “Mysteries of Paris”, which had been very successful in various political circles, including among the Critics. This work is not a production by Bauer’s group but by a Frenchman named Eugene Sue. By portraying the life and misery of the city’s workers, the book gained sympathy among people on the left. Among the right, he appealed because he pointed to philanthropy and generosity as a way out of social problems. Marx criticized in “Mysteries of Paris”, which he analyzed very closely, the sentimental appeal that turned away revolutionary solutions to workers’ issues. Instead, he left the causes of misery untouched and gave prominence to the wealthy, potential saviours through charitable actions.