"The latest translated edition of
The Right to Be Lazy contains essays that broaden the scope of Lafargue as a critical thinker beyond the piece of agitprop he remains most famous for writing. These include a brilliant piece of Marxist literary criticism avant la lettre on the oeuvre of Victor Hugo, as well as a sketch of his memories of his father-in-law that provides insights into Marx's lesser-known intellectual pursuits... The clarion call of
The Right to Be Lazy remains, however, the contribution of Lafargue's that is still capable of inspiring a provocation, asking us to inquire what our days would look like if more of our time was truly ours." –Clinton Williamson,
The Nation "What makes Lafargue's case for leisure distinctive is that he unapologetically endorses hedonistic idleness." –Matt McManus,
Jacobin "Lafargue's mordant approach is still effective 140 years later." –Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic
"[T]he fact that things didn't turn out as Lafargue hoped. . . . takes nothing away from the cogency, the sparkle, the sheer fun of
The Right to Be Lazy." –Mitch Abidor,
Jewish Currents "These piercing essays from socialist Lafargue offer a valuable window into early Marxist thinking. . . . these pieces speak to the present moment, when pandemic-related disruptions have provoked reconsiderations of where, how, and why people work. Readers will relish this incendiary blast from the past." –
Publishers Weekly "The writing is vivid, pointed, hilarious. To paraphrase Elizabeth Bishop, Lafargue is scathing, but cheerful." –Michael Autrey,
Booklist "With scathing wit, Lafargue takes aim at the ideological underpinnings of late-stage capitalism. . . . A sly, irreverent sibling to
The Communist Manifesto, Lafargue's argument against our willing servitude to what we'd now call hustle culture and growth-at-all-costs is as trenchant and necessary as the day it was written, if not more so." –David Wright,
Library Journal "The writing is vivid, pointed, hilarious. To paraphrase Elizabeth Bishop, Lafargue is scathing, but cheerful." – Michael Autrey,
Booklist "[Lafargue's] ideas are even more relevant to today's enslaved societies than they were when they were first written." –Tom Hodgkinson, editor of
The Idler "
The Right to Be Lazy points explicitly to the ridiculousness of our clamoring to work the hardest; to prove ourselves the best and most tireless." –Garth Miró,
Southwest Review