Marx's Capital - "Best" edition?

[chilango]

I would like to get a physical set of Capital (ideally all three volumes) for reference (i.e. not for reading "cover to cover", I'd do that on my Kindle anyway.)

My criteria are:

• Cheap
• Decent size type
• Thorough index
• Looks nice!

Obviously a decent translation would be good.

Any pointers?

...or indeed for other works of his.

Ta

 

[Fozzie Bear]

What's wrong with the Penguin one, you utter hipster?

 

[chilango]

What's wrong with the Penguin one, you utter hipster?

It's £30, that's what.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

It's £30, that's what.

Fair enough, but you must be able to score a 2nd hand copy for less than that?

 

[chilango]

Fair enough, but you must be able to score a 2nd hand copy for less than that?

Sadly not. £32.95 is the best I've seen for all three.

 

[belboid]

It's £30, that's what.

Bloody bargain you tightfisted git!

The Wordsworth Classics is usually cheap (£3.99!), meant to be a decent translation, although it's only volumes 1&2

 

[chilango]

I've been scouring the charity shops for a few years. My local Oxfam has a pretty iffy looking abridged version for £8 that's all I've seen.

 

[chilango]

Bloody bargain you tightfisted git!

The Wordsworth Classics of usually cheap, meant to be a decent translation, although it's only volumes 1&2

Yeah. I could pick up 1&2 abridged online for about a fiver.

But I really want the full thing as its for reference. Found myself quoting from Volume Three this morning.

 

[belboid]

The Wordsworth is unabridged, tho ,clearly, lacking part 3

 

[chilango]

The Wordsworth is unabridged, tho ,clearly, lacking part 3

Cool. That plus a 2nd hand Vol. III would work...

...but then they wouldn't be matching on my shelf!

 

[belboid]

There are some lovely looking matching versions out there. As long as you don't mind paying £300.

 

[chilango]

There are some lovely looking matching versions out there. As long as you don't mind paying £300.

Fucking capitalism

 

[imposs1904]

I've been scouring the charity shops for a few years. My local Oxfam has a pretty iffy looking abridged version for £8 that's all I've seen.

8 squid for a book in a charity shop? I've been away from the UK for too long.

 

[imposs1904]

Buy a cheap secondhand kindle and download all the editions you want. Simples.

 

[chilango]

Buy a cheap secondhand kindle and download all the editions you want. Simples.

See my op

I have the Kindle and Capital on it. I want an indexed physical copy.

But yeah, aside from that, that would be the way to go.

 

[CNT36]

I would like to get a physical set of Capital (ideally all three volumes) for looking big, smart and commie in front of my comrades (i.e. not for reading "cover to cover", I'd do that on my Kindle anyway.)

My criteria are:

• Cheap
• Decent size type
• Thorough index
• Looks nice!

Obviously a decent translation would be good.

Any pointers?

...or indeed for other works of his.

Ta

Fixed.

I've got some paperback penguin editions that are unabridged and readable. The standard orange and black look.

 

[eoin_k]

Sadly not. £32.95 is the best I've seen for all three.

They individual volumes are all under a tenner on abe books.

 

[Pickman's model]

8 squid for a book in a charity shop? I've been away from the UK for too long.

Last year I saw Marx and Engels on the Paris commune in the portobello Oxfam for £21. May still be there

 

[mx wcfc]

This is my edition. Bought it years ago. Printed in the USSR.

 

[chilango]

They individual volumes are all under a tenner on abe books.

Thanks. I can pick up a matching set of Pelican's for about £15 it looks like.

...or get the L&W one for about £30

 

[chilango]

View attachment 161750 View attachment 161749 View attachment 161750 This is my edition. Bought it years ago. Printed in the USSR.

Now that's what I'm talking about!

 

[mx wcfc]

I bought it when I was a student, so it can't have cost much. Possibly the Uni bookshop was cheap!

 

[chilango]

All that said I picked up these two for £1.49 and £1.29 respectively.

Already had the Manifesto, but had been wanting a Soviet or Chinese edition for a while...

 

[chilango]

I bought it when I was a student, so it can't have cost much. Possibly the Uni bookshop was cheap!

You used to find the Chinese, and the Soviet to a lesser extent, ones kicking around dirt cheap all over the place back at the start of the '90s. But being a good Anarchist I turned my nose up at them.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

In Birmingham the Oxfam and other charity shops in Moseley etc are fertile ground for this type of stuff given a) students in the vicinity and b) middle class left types who read the first 50 pages and then gave up

If you want me to keep an eye out let me know

 

[chilango]

In the current Verso sale they have Harvey's companion (to all three volumes) for a tenner. Worth getting? (bearing in mind I'm not attempting to read the whole thing, just dipping in and out in particular topics).

 

[belboid]

In the current Verso sale they have Harvey's companion (to all three volumes) for a tenner. Worth getting? (bearing in mind I'm not attempting to read the whole thing, just dipping in and out in particular topics).

Definitely, that’s a bargain.

 

[mojo pixy]

There should be a copy of at least vol.1 in your local library, certainly in a town centre one. Probably the Penguin Classics edition, which is great IMO
It may be on loan though, it's surprisingly popular and takes ages to read.

Unless this is about owning one, in which case I'll get me coat.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

In the current Verso sale they have Harvey's companion (to all three volumes) for a tenner. Worth getting? (bearing in mind I'm not attempting to read the whole thing, just dipping in and out in particular topics).

Yes. Best explainer I've read. His youtube video lectures are superb as well. It was my starting point and guide when I finally read Capital in full and understood it.

 

[love detective]

I've got some old versions of Vol 1 & Vol3 (most people skip vol2 anyway thinking it's not that important - it's dry as fuck in terms of writing style and literary flourishes compared to the other 2 but still pretty solid/important stuff) also a Marx/Engels selected correspondence that I don't need - they are very heavy though so no idea what the postage would be on them



These are the ones that I actually use - although not looked at them for years