Now, the People!: Revolution in the Twenty-First Century

by Jean-Luc Mélenchon

The leader of the French radical left sets out a vision for a new type of revolution in our time

A crisis wracked French politics in the summer of 2024, with Marine Le Pen’s far-right party winning in the first round of voting for the French National Assembly, bringing its nationalist and anti- immigrant politics to the threshold of power. But a week later, in second round elections, a coalition of left-wing parties triumphed at the polls, denying Le Pen’s forces victory and dealing a blow to the centrist forces of President Emmanuel Macron.

The triumph of the left in France can in many ways be credited to Jean- Luc Mélenchon, who united the French left in a strategic coalition to defeat Le Pen and articulated a radical new vision for society. Now, the People! is a challenging work from Mélenchon that details his vision of revolution in our time, not only in France but around the world.

Mélenchon embarks on a survey of human history from earliest times to the crisis-ridden present. He elaborates his vision for a new strategy for radical parties to reach the highest levels of government but also to transform the capitalist system in a peaceful the citizens’ revolution.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Philosophy, France

320 pages, Hardcover

Published April 15, 2025

About the author

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, né le 19 août 1951 à Tanger (Maroc), est un homme politique français.

Reviews

[axelottvn · Rating 4 out of 5]

le vieux 🥹

[Donald]

I think this is worth reading. At its best reminds me of Mike Davis' Planet of Slums where there is a balance sheet of our world of extremes. And France is lucky to have politicians able to be conversant on a wide range of subjects. I can't imagine many New Democratic Party MPs in Canada able to see this "high from the mountaintop" (as MLK or Bob Avakian might say). You can see where he's drawing from people like Laclau and Mouffe to develop a new grammar of politics. Most of the topics he covers, from junk food to revolutionary Tweet Ups, will be familiar to progressives but it's helpful to pile them into one book and he personalizes each topic with anecdotes. It's hard to tell how much of this is a new theory of politics and what comes from aversion to certain words - he gives reasons why emphasizing socialism or leftism or populism is fraught. I did find myself skipping over some paragraphs when I felt it was very predictable what was being said. I can understand how it could get tiring, bringing to mind how friends of Slavoj Zizek tease him by calling him Fidel Castro, but it's still good to read synoptic views of the left to remember to tie it all together.

[L'1'Gos² (Baptiste) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Livre très intéressant ! Il permet de mieux comprendre les références et la vision de Mélenchon. Idées politiques se basant sur des valeurs et des idées saines tournées vers le bien commun.

[Tri · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy*

I wanted to get hooked on this book, but unfortunately it was a little too jargon-heavy for me. It read very much like a textbook, and while I appreciate the thoroughness of the author, it did make it a slow read.

[Griffin E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will preface this by saying I have always held a latent appreciation for the author, Jean-Luc Melenchon. He came to my attention like he did to many others in The States during that period of time from 2016-2020 in which Bernie Sanders was firmly at the center of the political discussion and enthusiasm of young people. He, along with Jeremy Corbyn, seemed to offer something new- a break from traditional social democratic norms and a new path forward unbound from the traditional Marxist-Leninist model still held by many communist parties today. This is about all I knew about him. Not much of his works were translated in English, not many speeches translated and sorted. I had appreciated him at distance, hopeful for his project but not understanding the particular. The ascendancy of the new popular front brought me back into his orbit, I saw the enthusiasm, and I saw the clips of him speaking in an astounding, strange, and compelling way. I don’t think Bernie Sanders would ever call to nationalize time.

I saw a section of this book in Jacobin Magazine, at a particular time in my life when I have been completely burned out by the stagnant left in the United States that seemed to offer no future beyond either guilt or complete dissolution. I did not expect what I came to read. This book, more than others in the same ilk, is a political program for the future. It is theory. How strange to say, considering the author is the face of a mainstream political party that exists and is growing!

Melenchon speaks in admittedly strange ways, stringing disparate concepts together around a central ecological and humanist framework. It’s interesting. It’s definitely weird. It’s probably going to influence my politics from this day forward.

I recommend this book to any progressive in this country who feels the very real rudderlessness of the present left.

[tomasawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un livre érudit, stimulant lorsqu'il parle sciences, technologies, urbanisme, archéologie, plus ennuyeux lorsqu'il théorise sur la politique mais il a le mérite de conscientiser notre dépendance aux réseaux privatisés qui sont maintenant capable de nous priver de tous moyens de survie. Qui sait comment ils réagiront lorsque se posera la question de reprendre le contrôle pour faire face aux bouleversements climatiques.

[marine · Rating 4 out of 5]

il est bien ton livre le vieux

[Marjorie C. Ferryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un livre que j’ai aimé lire, même s’il s’est avéré plus compliqué à lire et comprendre à certains moments. En dépit de ça, il n’en reste point un très bon livre. Cet ouvrage est très poussé intellectuellement. De toute évidence, venant d’un livre écrit part la plume de Jean-Luc Mélenchon, je n’en attendais pas moins. Jean-Luc Mélenchon nous parle dans ce livre de sciences, de technologies, d’urbanisme, mais également du capitalisme en long, en large et en travers.
Si nous connaissions mal ou peu Jean-Luc Mélenchon, ce livre permet d’en savoir un peu plus sur sa vision du monde et sur ses idées.
Ce que j’ai réellement apprécié dans cet ouvrage est sa vision du capitalisme et de la société de manière générale. Même si, ce que j’ai préféré c’est lorsqu’il a parlé de politique de manière globale.
C’est un livre très complexe à lire puisque Jean-Luc Mélenchon touche à tout dans cet ouvrage et qu’il ne survole pas les sujets, bien au contraire. Certains sujets m’ont peu intéressé comme d’autres m’ont extrêmement passionné. Quoi qu’il en soit, un très bon ouvrage que toute personne devrait lire... qu’importe de quel horizon politique nous sommes.

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5 stars.

I was hoping for more of a political philosophy. This is part memoir/personal experiences from Melenchon in his political efforts in France, a brief overview of neoliberalism in the Fifth Republic, and a depressing read into the ecological destruction of the planet.

Obviously Melenchon cannot provide a program that would work in the location of each person reading it, but I found little insight into his campaigns in France (I believe the book was written before the 2024 elections, in which his coalition won the largest share of votes, but was not allowed to form a government).

Still, it's very refresing to read something from a politician that has a complete worldview and a way of looking at the problems facing everyone. I can't imagine a similar book from any elected official in the US.

Finally, I was struck that his observations of spontaneous popular uprisings around the world closely followed what Vincent Bevins' writes in "If We Burn." I think that book offers more of a blueprint for what left movements should and should not do.

[Lucie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's easy to read because it contains many small chapters and it is organized clearly. But it is also hard to read, because at times, his writing is a little fancy and I couldn't follow what he was talking about.

This is quite a complete book that talks about many different ideas that are interesting to me. It doesn't try to push you to think like the author. It is more like a display of his ideas, organized in a way that makes sense.

[Wyatt Browdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

La France Insoumise has established itself as the western world’s premier political party still able to claim a progressive agenda. Electorally successful and radical in his outlook, Jean-Luc Mélencon speaks with an intensity and erudition that is foreign to American elected officials (and especially their shitty airport books).

One cannot wish for left-populism to cross the Atlantic soon enough

[Fidel Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

J'ai été agréablement surpris par l'utilité de ce livre pour juger de la situation actuelle de l'économie capitaliste et de la possibilité de commencer à faire mieux en partant des institutions actuelles et des dynamiques de contestation les plus courantes.

[Julianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le livre est très bien organisé et même s'il est propose un beau challenge sur les différentes sujets abordés il en vaut le coup

[Aym · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bravo le vieux

[Prescillia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un livre intéressant. Plein de concepts et de nouvelles perspectives sont expliqués de manière détaillé. Ça donne à prendre les choses de manière différentes.

[Mo Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of visionary thinking that the new formations of the left need to adopt. I am a Mélenchonista and I'm not afraid to shout it from the rooftops.

[Ryan O'Malley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating. Unlike any politicians book I have read.

[Peter McKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers a vast amount of issues - both practical and theoretical - for the left to deal with. More inquisitive than preachy.