The Communist Manifesto: A Graphic Novel

by Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Martin Rowson (Illustrator)

Overview

Published in 1848, at a time of political upheaval in Europe, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels’s Manifesto for the Communist Party was at once a powerful critique of capitalism and a radical call to arms. It remains the most incisive introduction to the ideas of Communism and the most lucid explanation of its aims. Much of what it proposed continues to be at the heart of political debate into the 21st century. It is no surprise, perhaps, that The Communist Manifesto (as it was later renamed) is the second bestselling book of all time, surpassed only by the Bible.

The Guardian’s editorial cartoonist Martin Rowson employs his trademark draftsmanship and wit to this lively graphic novel adaptation. Published to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Marx’s birth, The Communist Manifesto is both a timely reminder of the politics of hope and a thought-provoking guide to the most influential work of political theory ever published.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781910593493
Publisher:	ABRAMS
Publication date:	06/05/2018
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	717,230
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Martin Rowson is a political cartoonist and author. Best known for his work in The Guardian, he has adapted Tristram Shandy and The Wasteland into graphic novel form.

Interviews

Martin Rowson lives in London, UK.

Editorial Reviews

04/30/2018
Rowson (The Wasteland), a political cartoonist whose scabrous style can be traced right back to Ralph Steadman, has produced a funny and nightmarishly dark graphic adaptation of communism’s foundational document. Rowson reimagines the book as a kind of lecture, with the bearded authors—Marx with a cigar in his hand and a cynical smirk on his face, Engels holding a great red flag yet to be unfurled—strolling through a hellish landscape in which demonic steampunk machines grind up hapless proletarians into grist for the capitalist mill. At one point, Marx lectures in a “Kapitalist Komedy Club” open-mic night. Though the backdrops, with their Pink Floyd’s The Wall aesthetic, can distract, this adaptation admirably boils down Marx’s history lessons and luridly illustrates the warning that the bourgeoisie class produces “its own grave-diggers.” While the book takes Marx’s assumptions about the inevitability of a vast proletarian uprising at face value, it also includes a wry coda on the aftermath of Marx-inspired revolutions. The result is a jauntily irreverent but fundamentally serious take on a vastly influential political work. (May)

Publishers Weekly

The Manifesto’s always been a rather easy read and Rowson’s adaptation makes it even more accessible, but the graphic novel also serves as an all-too-timely reminder of just what kind of world we’re living in today.

Gizmodo