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Living a Marxist Life: Why Marx is a Drug You Should Probably Take
The last ten years have seen a dramatic upsurge of interest in socialist theory and politics. As a recent Washington Post op-ed put it, “We are living in a new social democratic moment”. People are increasingly drawn to Marxist theory but find it difficult to imagine how it can be integrated practically into an everyday life pervaded by capitalist norms and social practices. Often intuitively, they agree with Marx's critique of capitalism, but don't know how to bridge the gap between their sense of dissatisfaction with the present and a revolutionary solution which can feel indefinitely postponed and remote.
Living a Marxist Life responds to this disconnect by framing Marxism not as a mere “theory” but as a practical philosophical truth-a lived practice that immediately changes the reality of those experimenting with it. From Frida Kahlo to Jean-Luc Godard, Pablo Picasso to Angela Davis, Marxists are not dry theoreticians but embodied agents of a process that is as intensely imaginative and joyful as it is demanding and difficult. This book, then, is a chronicle of radical change-a record of the ways our thoughts, habits, desires, actions, and emotions can be fundamentally reshaped by an encounter with Marx.
This book is not an introduction to Marx, nor a systematic defense of Marxism. Rather, it is a self-help book that calls into question the very idea of self-help, a guide to the good life that rejects normative morality, and an inspirational manual that promotes philosophy, sociology, and politics, not vague spirituality or religion, as solutions to the urgent problems that face us.
Living a Marxist Life responds to this disconnect by framing Marxism not as a mere “theory” but as a practical philosophical truth-a lived practice that immediately changes the reality of those experimenting with it. From Frida Kahlo to Jean-Luc Godard, Pablo Picasso to Angela Davis, Marxists are not dry theoreticians but embodied agents of a process that is as intensely imaginative and joyful as it is demanding and difficult. This book, then, is a chronicle of radical change-a record of the ways our thoughts, habits, desires, actions, and emotions can be fundamentally reshaped by an encounter with Marx.
This book is not an introduction to Marx, nor a systematic defense of Marxism. Rather, it is a self-help book that calls into question the very idea of self-help, a guide to the good life that rejects normative morality, and an inspirational manual that promotes philosophy, sociology, and politics, not vague spirituality or religion, as solutions to the urgent problems that face us.
200 pages, Paperback
Published October 17, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 10, 2025
2.5
I have read two books this year on themes surrounding Marxism and being one. The first was Berman's Adventures in Marxism and the second is this one. Whilst Berman's book was a series of essays (mainly reviews) that was not too specific on living as a Marxist and taking more of a humanistic Marxist approach to Marx's works, this one is very much centred on what it means to live as a Marxist.
I was initially enthusiastic about this, Pendakis introduces the book with some eloquent passages that present the main argument of the book:
the notion that Marxism is not simply a means to the end of a better society but also a lived truth that creates lasting effects in the life of the individual Marxist.
I think when he is allowed to be more personal and take a more reflective approach to being a Marxist that he shines. I think it is similar to Berman in which there are moments in which the personal, humanistic side emerges and it results in some very meaningful passages that I think are important for all Marxists to reflect on from time to time.
This includes the ways in which individually it does change you in a way, Pendakis describes this in various ways in the book. At times, it is relatable and as someone who is the lone Marxist in my family, Pendakis' commentary on this in chapter 2 and of his own struggles in dealing with that as a working class academic (alongside his academic sibling) resonated with me to an extent. I think there's also how Marxism changes how you enjoy things too or the ways in which Marxism brings a sense of belonging to the struggle. I think Pendakis is trying to articulate things that are difficult to describe, it's how to avoid becoming too individualist with this or even too sentimental. At the end of it all, Marxism is a framework as to which we see and analyse the world and as helpful and inspiring as it has been for me and millions of others around the world, it is still just that.
That gets into one of the main issues I have with this book, there are a lot of presumptions about how Marxists are and how they should act. Pendakis has this tone that is very much like 'of course Marxists view their commutes differently, of course Marxists read voraciously,' which I think is not necessarily true and worryingly, can set a precedent of applying almost deterministic notions onto Marxists and how they live. There are a lot of moments where Pendakis tries to make something out of this, even down to how Marx's temper in 1840s Berlin is part of:
the body language of historical materialism, a kind of Marxist Hegelian parkour.
Even with that, the mentions of Vaush and numerous pop cultural reference (including Neon Genesis Evangelion), I would still have found something useful in this. However, all of that is gone in the final two chapters, where this presumptuousness reaches outright falsehoods and frankly some unappealing passages. To describe Luxemburg's death like this really bothered me:
there is no Marxist who would trade the sweetness of their short and angry life for an eternity of peace and quiet. This is why figures like Camilo Torres or Luxemburg, quite apart from whether or not they believed in an afterlife, died defiant and cheerful.
To read something like this, knowing the gruesome way Torres and Luxemburg died, it was upsetting. I think there are much better and more delicate ways to approach these tragic deaths whilst also understanding their significance in defining Marxists and potential martyrdom.
In the final chapter, Pendakis brings up two revolutionaries, Hua, and her life as an urban planner in 1960s China and Maase, a Naxalite revolutionary in India. At first, both accounts are inspiring and about how, even in brutal conditions, that these two women maintain a revolutionary spirit. All for Pendakis to make strange statements about the kind of Marxism Hua and Maase are engaging with:
We don’t know much about the kind of Marxist theory available to either Hua and Maase, or anything about the nature of their respective intellectual paths through the tradition. We can assume that the texts and theories available to them were simplifications of Marx’s ideas – versions that would have little in common with the cutting-edge research being done in economics, sociology, history or philosophy today by Marxist scholars.
Of course we know, the works of Mao and the literature of the CPI (Maoist) (including Anuradha Ghandy) alone are enough indicators as to such, but to word it like this, it was bordering on some orientalist notions about Marxism.
You see more of this in how the book contrasts 'their' kind of Marxism, as if a total remnant of the 20th Century to the contemporary Marxism of North America (and the wider imperial core):
Hua and Maase both missed out on certain forms of liberal freedom that most Marxists today want embedded in any future socialism – rights to privacy, intellectual variety and even free speech.
Pendakis' influences are evidently from philosophy, as well as this kind of neo-Leninism of Jodi Dean and Andreas Malm. It's not necessarily that Pendakis is being totally palatable, but to say:
not all Marxists are revolutionaries – which is to say, not all of us see the concept of revolution as necessary or useful
Something like that is simply untrue.
There was some interesting insights at the start of this book, but the book is let down by the last half and the arguments Pendakis makes there (including defending Žižek and debating with Peterson). I think Berman's book is better for anyone looking for more explorations on what it means to be a Marxist, because Berman's focus is mainly on the literature and more reflective on his personal experiences instead of telling you how Marxists are and what they should be like. I think if Pendakis focused more on a more personal, humanistic reflection on living as Marxist instead, it would have been better.
I have read two books this year on themes surrounding Marxism and being one. The first was Berman's Adventures in Marxism and the second is this one. Whilst Berman's book was a series of essays (mainly reviews) that was not too specific on living as a Marxist and taking more of a humanistic Marxist approach to Marx's works, this one is very much centred on what it means to live as a Marxist.
I was initially enthusiastic about this, Pendakis introduces the book with some eloquent passages that present the main argument of the book:
the notion that Marxism is not simply a means to the end of a better society but also a lived truth that creates lasting effects in the life of the individual Marxist.
I think when he is allowed to be more personal and take a more reflective approach to being a Marxist that he shines. I think it is similar to Berman in which there are moments in which the personal, humanistic side emerges and it results in some very meaningful passages that I think are important for all Marxists to reflect on from time to time.
This includes the ways in which individually it does change you in a way, Pendakis describes this in various ways in the book. At times, it is relatable and as someone who is the lone Marxist in my family, Pendakis' commentary on this in chapter 2 and of his own struggles in dealing with that as a working class academic (alongside his academic sibling) resonated with me to an extent. I think there's also how Marxism changes how you enjoy things too or the ways in which Marxism brings a sense of belonging to the struggle. I think Pendakis is trying to articulate things that are difficult to describe, it's how to avoid becoming too individualist with this or even too sentimental. At the end of it all, Marxism is a framework as to which we see and analyse the world and as helpful and inspiring as it has been for me and millions of others around the world, it is still just that.
That gets into one of the main issues I have with this book, there are a lot of presumptions about how Marxists are and how they should act. Pendakis has this tone that is very much like 'of course Marxists view their commutes differently, of course Marxists read voraciously,' which I think is not necessarily true and worryingly, can set a precedent of applying almost deterministic notions onto Marxists and how they live. There are a lot of moments where Pendakis tries to make something out of this, even down to how Marx's temper in 1840s Berlin is part of:
the body language of historical materialism, a kind of Marxist Hegelian parkour.
Even with that, the mentions of Vaush and numerous pop cultural reference (including Neon Genesis Evangelion), I would still have found something useful in this. However, all of that is gone in the final two chapters, where this presumptuousness reaches outright falsehoods and frankly some unappealing passages. To describe Luxemburg's death like this really bothered me:
there is no Marxist who would trade the sweetness of their short and angry life for an eternity of peace and quiet. This is why figures like Camilo Torres or Luxemburg, quite apart from whether or not they believed in an afterlife, died defiant and cheerful.
To read something like this, knowing the gruesome way Torres and Luxemburg died, it was upsetting. I think there are much better and more delicate ways to approach these tragic deaths whilst also understanding their significance in defining Marxists and potential martyrdom.
In the final chapter, Pendakis brings up two revolutionaries, Hua, and her life as an urban planner in 1960s China and Maase, a Naxalite revolutionary in India. At first, both accounts are inspiring and about how, even in brutal conditions, that these two women maintain a revolutionary spirit. All for Pendakis to make strange statements about the kind of Marxism Hua and Maase are engaging with:
We don’t know much about the kind of Marxist theory available to either Hua and Maase, or anything about the nature of their respective intellectual paths through the tradition. We can assume that the texts and theories available to them were simplifications of Marx’s ideas – versions that would have little in common with the cutting-edge research being done in economics, sociology, history or philosophy today by Marxist scholars.
Of course we know, the works of Mao and the literature of the CPI (Maoist) (including Anuradha Ghandy) alone are enough indicators as to such, but to word it like this, it was bordering on some orientalist notions about Marxism.
You see more of this in how the book contrasts 'their' kind of Marxism, as if a total remnant of the 20th Century to the contemporary Marxism of North America (and the wider imperial core):
Hua and Maase both missed out on certain forms of liberal freedom that most Marxists today want embedded in any future socialism – rights to privacy, intellectual variety and even free speech.
Pendakis' influences are evidently from philosophy, as well as this kind of neo-Leninism of Jodi Dean and Andreas Malm. It's not necessarily that Pendakis is being totally palatable, but to say:
not all Marxists are revolutionaries – which is to say, not all of us see the concept of revolution as necessary or useful
Something like that is simply untrue.
There was some interesting insights at the start of this book, but the book is let down by the last half and the arguments Pendakis makes there (including defending Žižek and debating with Peterson). I think Berman's book is better for anyone looking for more explorations on what it means to be a Marxist, because Berman's focus is mainly on the literature and more reflective on his personal experiences instead of telling you how Marxists are and what they should be like. I think if Pendakis focused more on a more personal, humanistic reflection on living as Marxist instead, it would have been better.
April 5, 2026
This book really explains how “everything is political”. Great read, terrible for my peace of mind.
Read
July 17, 2026what a grounded and energizing read! this is a great entry point for those new to marxism, while still feeling in-depth and challenging. biiiig big fan of this, it creates a kind of nervous energy in the body to Do something—read more, organize, talk with others, get involved
February 22, 2026
While this technically isn’t an introduction to Marx/theory in the traditional sense, this might actually be one of the best books to give to someone who is feeling the sting of capitalism and is curious about Marx. Pendakis removes the veil of fog around the capitalist hell world we live in and provides some articulation to the reader’s many frustrations and anxieties. It’s also reads like a self-help book of sorts that promotes a kind of ”atheist Marxist spirituality”. One thing I especially liked about this text is how Pendakis accurately describes Marxism as a demanding complex philosophy of life and not just another political ideology.
In terms of the negative, I can see how some people may view this book with apprehension due to Pendakis’ descriptions of a Marxist life that not all people will agree with. I connected with many of the things written and agreed with his representation of a communist attitude towards life but not everyone fits that mold. I also agree with my fellow goodreads comrades that it is a bet repetitive and the last couple chapters aren’t as good as the ones in the beginning.
While I didn’t vibe with every single aspect of the book I still contend that it is very useful for those who are just getting into theory, praxis, and everything in between. Most importantly it provides valuable exposure to an ideology/philosophy fraut with confusion and misunderstanding. It’s very welcoming with open arms and something I really would’ve appreciated when I was first getting into this stuff. I think it may be the best book for those seeking to get a better understanding of Marx and Marxism (right after finishing it I gifted it to a friend who has become interested in politics). For those already well aquatinted with the topic it feels like speaking to an old friend who get its (at least that’s how I felt).
In terms of the negative, I can see how some people may view this book with apprehension due to Pendakis’ descriptions of a Marxist life that not all people will agree with. I connected with many of the things written and agreed with his representation of a communist attitude towards life but not everyone fits that mold. I also agree with my fellow goodreads comrades that it is a bet repetitive and the last couple chapters aren’t as good as the ones in the beginning.
While I didn’t vibe with every single aspect of the book I still contend that it is very useful for those who are just getting into theory, praxis, and everything in between. Most importantly it provides valuable exposure to an ideology/philosophy fraut with confusion and misunderstanding. It’s very welcoming with open arms and something I really would’ve appreciated when I was first getting into this stuff. I think it may be the best book for those seeking to get a better understanding of Marx and Marxism (right after finishing it I gifted it to a friend who has become interested in politics). For those already well aquatinted with the topic it feels like speaking to an old friend who get its (at least that’s how I felt).
May 8, 2025
The book is ok. The overarching argument is solid, but the book is repetitive. It also reads like evangelism for Marxism. As an ex-vangelical, not a good look imo.
The writing itself is hit and miss. There are a few stretches of quite good writing flow, but other parts are prolix. In general, I get the sense that the author is trying to be "edgy." The vibe is "We, Marxists, are all counter-cultural, even in our everyday activities and the other minutiae of our lives." There is also a bit of Marx worship. The author quite explicitly claims that Marx is the most prolific and influential philosopher, social scientist, economist, etc., etc. I'm just not interested in these kinds of pronouncements. I'm also inherently cynical of such apologetics as this book espouses.
Still, there are moments of inspiration in the book. As a critic of capitalism (in not a card-carrying Marxist) I appreciated some of the examples of how Marxism could play out in practice. We in the U.S. have so few opportunities to see it unfold that Marxism tends to be castigated or romanticized—or worse, seen as an academic exercise. This book puts flesh and blood on Marxist theory.
I confess, I dropped off reading the book at the last chapter. There was just too much repetition for me. However, I am a philosopher, and one with a contact exposure to Marxism. Those who are brand new to the thoughts and attitudes of Marxists may find this book markedly more exhilirating that I did.
The writing itself is hit and miss. There are a few stretches of quite good writing flow, but other parts are prolix. In general, I get the sense that the author is trying to be "edgy." The vibe is "We, Marxists, are all counter-cultural, even in our everyday activities and the other minutiae of our lives." There is also a bit of Marx worship. The author quite explicitly claims that Marx is the most prolific and influential philosopher, social scientist, economist, etc., etc. I'm just not interested in these kinds of pronouncements. I'm also inherently cynical of such apologetics as this book espouses.
Still, there are moments of inspiration in the book. As a critic of capitalism (in not a card-carrying Marxist) I appreciated some of the examples of how Marxism could play out in practice. We in the U.S. have so few opportunities to see it unfold that Marxism tends to be castigated or romanticized—or worse, seen as an academic exercise. This book puts flesh and blood on Marxist theory.
I confess, I dropped off reading the book at the last chapter. There was just too much repetition for me. However, I am a philosopher, and one with a contact exposure to Marxism. Those who are brand new to the thoughts and attitudes of Marxists may find this book markedly more exhilirating that I did.
December 19, 2025
Pendakis’ self-aware spin on the trite self-help genre for what is essentially a “21st-centurized” Marxist manifesto is a cunning choice that I think will succeed in lulling in the curious reader who may have activist inclinations but doesn’t quite know how to channel those into a robust worldview and program of action/education. What’s presented stylistically as a kind of pop-Marxist treatise is just that while also being—in keeping with the tradition’s hallmark discursive features which are the progeny of Marx’s idiosyncratic writing style itself—contemporarily philosophically conversant, grounded in a principled empiricism, unpretentiously erudite, and brimming with funny insights.
This book will resonate most with those who aren’t already comfortably middle-class in the current social order and who harbour the unconsciously entrenched liberal doxa of our moment. If, by contrast, you’re someone who has been struggling to put in to words the feelings you’ve had resulting from feeling and/or seeing first-hand the peculiar suffering generated by our current late-neoliberal existence, then this book will be both a comforting read and a (purposefully) didactic guide to start imagining what the outside of the prison-house of Capitalism could look and feel like.
My first thought after completing the prologue was that this book is basically a Marxist interpolation of Heidegger’s Dasein, which, given Dasein’s clear theological undertones, makes it a more suitable call to a higher form of social being for those who believe, like Marx did, that secular rationality can and should be the basis for producing higher forms of societal organization.
5/5!
This book will resonate most with those who aren’t already comfortably middle-class in the current social order and who harbour the unconsciously entrenched liberal doxa of our moment. If, by contrast, you’re someone who has been struggling to put in to words the feelings you’ve had resulting from feeling and/or seeing first-hand the peculiar suffering generated by our current late-neoliberal existence, then this book will be both a comforting read and a (purposefully) didactic guide to start imagining what the outside of the prison-house of Capitalism could look and feel like.
My first thought after completing the prologue was that this book is basically a Marxist interpolation of Heidegger’s Dasein, which, given Dasein’s clear theological undertones, makes it a more suitable call to a higher form of social being for those who believe, like Marx did, that secular rationality can and should be the basis for producing higher forms of societal organization.
5/5!
June 21, 2026
I have decades of lived experience, and also a fair amount of movement solidarity work, where Marx always seems to step in when I am disconsolate and I yearn for answers. Not that I am a scholar, only a person who has always felt the logic of Marxism in my bones. This book somehow answers my questions and best of all, justifies my instincts and behaviors. Just a few paragraphs a night, and I felt like everything fits into place. The writing is beautiful, soulful, and its messages are forgiving; so this, I now understand, is Marxism…a “drug you should probably take”, indeed.
January 15, 2026
I dont know. Definitely a cosy read. Kind of substanceless but... Definitely better than scrolling on tiktok and kind of motivating to read more, organize more, through myself fully into life and politics. so yknow good vibes.
January 2, 2026
Good book for beginners who are interested in Marxism
June 29, 2025
I don't identify as a Marxist, but I'm interested in the tradition and I found this book fascinating.
There's plenty of moments that I disagreed with or that I found provocative, but just in terms of the writing alone I think it has to be one of the most beautifully written leftist book of the last twenty five years or so. I found myself often disagreeing with Pendakis's conclusions or wishing he'd followed through on a point, but the writing is brilliant, often moving, and made it hard for me to put the book down.
Pendakis is calling for an open-ended, inclusive, self-critical, and passion-driven Marxist rationalism--one that asks questions, aligns with a wide array of allies, and refuses to fall into some of the worst temptations of the tradition (power for power's sake, factionalism, teleology, and so on). I'd say that it is kind of a synthesis between Nietzsche, Machiavelli and Marx. Whether or not that's possible I'm not sure. I'd also say that though the book is atheist, and very clear to distinguish religion from philosophy, that there's a kind of tone in the background of the book that is Romantic or Platonic or even skeptically Christian. This is probably there because he's trying to argue that Marxism too has a "spiritual" dimension--a way that it touches the "soul", lifts the spirit, and offers us paths to the good life in the here and now (rather than in some communist utopia of the distant future).
The book is pitched for his students, but I would guess he's meaning graduate students or maybe senior undergrad--though there are lots of anecdotes, and a lot of clear, punchy sentences that stand out, its also very much a work of philosophy drawing extensively on references from the history of philosophy (Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Epicurus, Machiavelli, and so on). He probably draws more from non-Marxist sources than Marxist ones--a sign of heterodoxy that I really appreciated.
My biggest criticism is that I would like the chapter on practice to arrive earlier in the book--he talks a lot about the need for study, learning, etc as a constituent part of the Marxist life and though I agree that's important it would be easy for a reader to conclude that he doesn't think marxism has an applied political dimension--he's very clear in the last chapter that it does.
I'm going to post below some of my favorite quotes:
On the need to avoid dogmatism:
"This is what Varoufakis means when he claims that it is precisely by virtue of his erraticism that he remains faithful to Marxism as a project. In some real way there is no such thing as a Marxist--only Marxishts each of whom, by contributing their efforts begins the tradition anew".
"Marxism conceived of as an experience, a "strange and moving drama", means that it never happens to two people in precisely the same way; it is always the singular expression of a never-to-be-repeated-life."
On the connection between Marxism and self-cultivation:
"Becoming marxist...means dying to oneself and the world, but with an eye to rediscovering both".
On Marxism and Love:
"So many of us conclude that to keep a love intact we will have to shield it from despair. But we love more deeply and even truly when we choose to do so while keeping our gazes fixes squarely on the nightmares that confront us--climate change, neofascism, inequality, endless war, and so on. When we glimpse in each other's faces not just precious personal sweetness and light, but also world-historical horror and anguish, we are loving like Marxists"
On the need for long-term organization:
"nobody builds the kind of life that matters out of setting shit on fire"
There's plenty of moments that I disagreed with or that I found provocative, but just in terms of the writing alone I think it has to be one of the most beautifully written leftist book of the last twenty five years or so. I found myself often disagreeing with Pendakis's conclusions or wishing he'd followed through on a point, but the writing is brilliant, often moving, and made it hard for me to put the book down.
Pendakis is calling for an open-ended, inclusive, self-critical, and passion-driven Marxist rationalism--one that asks questions, aligns with a wide array of allies, and refuses to fall into some of the worst temptations of the tradition (power for power's sake, factionalism, teleology, and so on). I'd say that it is kind of a synthesis between Nietzsche, Machiavelli and Marx. Whether or not that's possible I'm not sure. I'd also say that though the book is atheist, and very clear to distinguish religion from philosophy, that there's a kind of tone in the background of the book that is Romantic or Platonic or even skeptically Christian. This is probably there because he's trying to argue that Marxism too has a "spiritual" dimension--a way that it touches the "soul", lifts the spirit, and offers us paths to the good life in the here and now (rather than in some communist utopia of the distant future).
The book is pitched for his students, but I would guess he's meaning graduate students or maybe senior undergrad--though there are lots of anecdotes, and a lot of clear, punchy sentences that stand out, its also very much a work of philosophy drawing extensively on references from the history of philosophy (Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Epicurus, Machiavelli, and so on). He probably draws more from non-Marxist sources than Marxist ones--a sign of heterodoxy that I really appreciated.
My biggest criticism is that I would like the chapter on practice to arrive earlier in the book--he talks a lot about the need for study, learning, etc as a constituent part of the Marxist life and though I agree that's important it would be easy for a reader to conclude that he doesn't think marxism has an applied political dimension--he's very clear in the last chapter that it does.
I'm going to post below some of my favorite quotes:
On the need to avoid dogmatism:
"This is what Varoufakis means when he claims that it is precisely by virtue of his erraticism that he remains faithful to Marxism as a project. In some real way there is no such thing as a Marxist--only Marxishts each of whom, by contributing their efforts begins the tradition anew".
"Marxism conceived of as an experience, a "strange and moving drama", means that it never happens to two people in precisely the same way; it is always the singular expression of a never-to-be-repeated-life."
On the connection between Marxism and self-cultivation:
"Becoming marxist...means dying to oneself and the world, but with an eye to rediscovering both".
On Marxism and Love:
"So many of us conclude that to keep a love intact we will have to shield it from despair. But we love more deeply and even truly when we choose to do so while keeping our gazes fixes squarely on the nightmares that confront us--climate change, neofascism, inequality, endless war, and so on. When we glimpse in each other's faces not just precious personal sweetness and light, but also world-historical horror and anguish, we are loving like Marxists"
On the need for long-term organization:
"nobody builds the kind of life that matters out of setting shit on fire"
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews