Book Review: Too Late to Awaken

Too Late to Awaken: What Lies Ahead When There is No Future?
by Slavoj Zizek
Review by Josh

In one of his more accessible works, the Slovenian philosopher has a stark vision for our future but also an answer for how to get through it. Zizek’s usual style of rambling his way to profundity is on full display here, complete with dirty jokes, uncouth metaphors and, of course, Hegelian dialectics. His insight into the Russian invasion of Ukraine is both shocking and eye-opening as he deftly dismantles the neoliberal systems that have placed us at this zero hour. The way to a more stable peace, Zizek argues, is to work under the assumption that we’re already past the point of no return. To envision a better future we must assume the disaster point has already struck and grapple with the consequences. Thought-provoking and intriguing, like most of Zizek’s work, you may have to re-read multiple sections to grasp his point but this only makes the eventual realization all the better.

For fans of his countless other books, and also Aurelius’ Meditations and Marx’s The Communist Manifesto.