"Ever try to read one of his gawdawful books? I tried a few times and couldn't get past the 10th page"
No, I've never tried reading one of his books. I don't read fiction. I only read non-fiction stuff such as history, etc.
But yes, there is definitely has a decidedly Marxist, historical revisionist cant underlying some of his work.
The man is a senescent old fool, so I really don't see why anyone with a modicum of intelligence would take anything he has to say seriously.