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I didn't understand everything but I finished this book with a better understanding of the definitions of ideology, the history of the term and idea, and some specific things like the positivism dispute, than I had started it. So, full success. Will definitely revisit parts of it when needed, no need to ever re-read it back to back.

Interesting read, prose ok. One extremely funny recurring theme is how no one likes Adorno and how he calls everyone a fascist. I especially like the chapter where the author compares the theory of antisemitism in Dialectic of Enlightenment with Hannah Arendt's Origins of Totalitarianism, shows the similarities and where they diverge. Made me want to read both of these works.

I don't have a lot to say about this book? I had a good time and learned a lot. It's interesting how similar in concept and in title it is to the "Existentialist Café" that I read just a few months ago. In comparison, this one is less entertaining, a bit more serious, and way less opinionated (author invisible). I like them both.

I guess the typical thing to focus on, and the reason why this lecture got made into a book half a century after it was held, would be how uncannily Adorno predicted certain developments, how prescient his analysis was, etc. I don't even want to argue against this reading, I just think it would be boring of me to point out the same things. It's partly true that Adorno makes some prescient points, and partly true that it's easy to make anything sound prescient in retrospect, that's why horoscopes are so popular. It's a good little text, Adorno's transcribed spoken word is easier to understand than his written works. It offers aspects of a theory of fascism, listing propaganda tactics. It's not groundbreaking but it's nice.

Gonna get a physical copy of this one. The pdf I have appears to be missing some pages, plus I feel certain I'll reread it several times so should be worth it.

This is a long and thorough biography of Adorno that works well as an introduction to his philosophy. I feel like I learned a lot. The more theoretical passages went over my head, but I think the mind still retains something even of texts that are several levels too difficult. It's not a waste of time to read them, more or less attentively. I'm side-eyeing the biographer for conservative intuitions and misogyny. I'm especially surprised at his seeming lack of curiosity towards Gretel Adorno, who by his own account played a major part in TWA's writing process. Why does the biographer feel the need to tell us all about TWA's grandfather, several of his intellectual friends, etc, but next to nothing about who his wife was? Before reading this biography I felt unequipped to read any work of Adorno on my own - now I feel equipped for a few of them. Besides that, I also learned some German history, especially the post-war period. That's an excellent outcome, so I am glad I read this book. One issue I had is with the translation. I would have much rather read this in German. The translation is subpar - just a head's up for people who have the choice I didn't get.