book reviews
"A witty delight that will engage both new and old acquaintances of the Marxian corpus... Even conservatives will find Zinn's [book]... an intelligent and diverting read. Recommended for academic and public libraries alike."
-Library Journal
"A cleverly imagined call to reconsider socialist theory... Zinn's point is well made; his passion for history melds with his political vigor to make this a memorable effort and a lucid primer for readers desiring a succinct, dramatized review of Marxism."
- Publishers Weekly
"An imaginative critique of our societyas hypocrisies and injustices, and an entertaining, vivid portrait of Karl Marx as a voice of humanitarian justice which is perhaps the best way to remember him."
-Kirkus Reviews
"Even in heaven it seems, Karl Marx is a troublemaker. But in the deft and loving hands of activist/author/historian Howard Zinn, the historical figure... is also a father, a husband and a futurist possessing a grand sense of humor."
-ForeWord
"This book is a major intellectual achievement with vital political implications."
-New Political Science
performance reviews
"an entertaining, first-rate solo performance...humorous, a little touching, and an acting tour-de force"
-AOL
"engaging and charismatic... The audience was clearly with him as he critiqued the death penalty, mega-mergers and mass media. You wouldn't imagine that social criticism could make for lively theater, but Zinn's text and Jones's acting deftly blended the political with the personal."
-Washington Post
"an entertaining education in a single act...There is an endearing bit of the vaudevillean's wit in Zinn's script, and Brian Jones's personable performance mines the monologue for maximum amusement"
-Boston Phoenix
"Zinn's writing more than sparkles here, while actor Brian Jones amazes. I recommend Marx in Soho for those who always wondered who Karl Marx was, but were afraid to ask."
-San Francisco Bay View
"Brian Jones is thoroughly engaging...whatever your leanings, its hard not to come out of this show stirred and stimulated"
-San Francisco Bay Guardian
"a comic masterstroke... Brian Jones is lovely"
-Capital Times
"Jones is versatile and captivating and Zinn writes with insight and humor... Zinn cleverly and unmistakably argues the relevance of Marx's ideas in our time. Under [Jones] supervision, Marx comes back to us as a delightfully well-rounded character: fantastically larger than life, yet vulnerable, doubting, and romantic at the same time."
-Backstage West
"[Zinn] mounts a clarion defense of the principles of Marxism while taking a timely jab at a consumerist culture run amok... A witty and spontaneous mouthpiece, Jones invests his character with a surprising degree of urbanity and savoir-faire."
-LA Times
"Marx in Soho and its execution by gifted actor Brian Jones are both masterpieces."
-Change Links
"Finally, a show by lefties, about lefties, that's no preachy polemic...Zinn has crafted a stirring, funny play that delves into the true meaning of Marxism."
-LA Weekly
PICK OF THE WEEK! 5/24/01
