Since the subtitle of Lucien Goldmann's Lukács and Heidegger is Towards a New Philosophy, the expectation is that the book will advance not only historical but also philosophical theses. Unfortunately, Goldmann died before writing more than an introduction, and these expectations are disappointingly answered only by a summary of Goldmann's lectures for the 1967–68 academic year. The transcripts of university courses are rarely worth publishing, and these are no exception. Perhaps it was not a disservice to Goldmann for the French to publish this work since they could assume that most readers would be familiar with his works of careful scholarship like The Hidden God. The danger of an English edition is that it is not likely to generate interest in Goldmann's other works among readers who are unfamiliar with his unique approach and who pick up this book primarily because of its concern with Lukács and...