Lukacs is far and away the most impressive Marxist critic I've read... but, alas, he suffers from all of the flaws which are common to Marxist criticism. His analyses of Tolstoy and Balzac are brilliant, as are his comments on Zola's shortcomings. Unfortunately, he doesn't know how to deal with writers who do not fit neatly into a Marxist theory of criticism: he ignores Dostoyevsky altogether and views Nietzsche, one of the most hardcore individualists of all time, as a reactionary facist.

Still, Lukacs is obviously widely read, and has an enormous knowledge of 19th century European literature and philosophy. I find that his work is often most interesting in the places where he is trying to shoehorn it into a Marxist pigeonhole and failing miserably: it makes me understand why throughout much of his career he was viewed with suspicion by the Party. Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds, and it's clear that Lukacs was a great mind, if not always a great spirit.

If you are interested in modern Marxism -- or in modern criticism of European literature -- this volume is indispensible.