I love these Routledge Critical Thinkers books. Nice crisp quick intro to challenging interesting thought. (I think I prefer these to Very Quick Introductions and Guides for the Perplexed, though I've had good experiences with both those series too.)
This series is preoccupied with literary criticism (You've been warned!). Nonetheless, it doesn't take much effort for me, with a background in media studies, to understand what is being written and see the relevance for my own discipline.
Chapter 3 and 4 about symptomatic readings and ISAs are decent enough for anyone that wishes to understand those concepts. Chapter 1 and 2 is a useful introduction to Althusser's own position within Marxism, and how his work is really just a 'Reading of Marx'. All and all, a useful book.
It's not only a brilliant intro to Althusser's world but also a very encouraging hand on our shoulder for reading more and more of Althusser. "You can neither understand nor practise political criticism today without coming to terms — whatever those terms may be — with Althusser." I learnt a lot from this book and highly recommend that to my critic friends.
I got nothing out of reading Althusser other than The Future Lasts a Long Time.
but this book helped me to understand the ideas which has been super influential to my life for the last 7 years or so. thanks Luke Ferretter!
i mean if you get Althusser, why read this book? I don't understand who understands certain thinkers like this. Like some are lucid. Foucault is lucid. Derrida not lucid. Deleuze fun not lucid but fun.
but I mean. I'm just sort of a smart enough guy. what am I supposed to do read Althusser. I'd rather just like hang out. so i mean just read this. it is really cool and interesting.