The Students' Marx: An Introduction to the Study of Karl Marx' Capital

What it is

This is a book titled The Students' Marx, written by Edward Bibbins Aveling and published in 1897. It was intended to introduce readers to Karl Marx's major economic work, Capital.

Why it matters

Aveling himself had helped translate Marx's Capital into English, and this guide was meant to make Marx's dense economic theory accessible to a wider audience. It shows how Marx's followers worked to spread and explain his ideas after the book's publication, much as Aveling had earlier done with a popular guide to Charles Darwin's writings.

Look closer

• Why might someone write a guide to help readers understand another book, rather than just reading the original?
• What does the comparison to a guide on Darwin suggest about how Aveling saw Marx's importance?
• What might be lost or simplified when a complex work like Capital is explained through an introductory guide?