book data
108 ratings, 3.96 average rating, 7 reviews
(more data...)
edit
published
April 1st 1977
by Hill and Wang
binding
Paperback, 112 pages
isbn
0374521395
(isbn13: 9780374521394)
description
In his first book, French critic Roland Barthes defines the complex nature of writing, as well as the social, historical, political, and personal forc...more
Sign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »
friend reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
other reviews (showing 1-20 of 164)
Read in October, 2002
Cryptograms of the writing of novels and histories with an singular approach using the styles of Flaubert, Camus, Balzac, Voltaire, Rousseau, Cayrol, Gide, Borges, Beckett, and on and so forth, to make some point about the Novel, History, and the languages found and made. It's a dense book, and it even seems that Susan Sontag is trying to make you not read it in her preface. This book was probably too much for the heavy American literary audience at one time, but I'm not so sure now. Then again ...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
I only feel like reading Barthes mid-morning, at the caffeine crest. I'm skimming this as part of an obligatory lit-survey. His particular statement of 'classic vs. romantic' is perceptive (smooth, monotonous, compacted 'relational' diction as opposed to a more various and individually colorful word-choice) but needlessly elaborate; Strachey says the same thing, but in less than half the page-space.
Like this review?
yes
2 comments
Read in December, 2007
Barthes was trained as a philosopher, so his account of French literary history is a little dated. Also, his lectures are too brief and one-sided to be compelling. That said, this presents a provocative counterargument to Jean-Paul Sartre's equally relevant What is Literature?, pointing up some of the weaknesses in Sartre's case for a "committed" or "engaged" literature.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in September, 2008
I wouldn't recommend this book as an intro to Barthes. Susan Sontag even seems to think the same. She wrote the preface. I might rather recommend Mythologies if you want to ease into Barthes. Of course, how you read is up to y o u.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Barthes is pure intellectual pleasure. Here he combines a history of the actions of writing that are applicable to many areas of life. A must read for the arts.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
If this is less staggeringly powerful than "Mythologies" and "S/Z", it's only by an eyelash. A must-read for any serious writer -- or reader.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
to-read
(on 28 people's shelves)
currently-reading (on 5 people's shelves)
theory (on 4 people's shelves)
philosophy (on 3 people's shelves)
criticism (on 3 people's shelves)
work (on 2 people's shelves)
literary-theory (on 2 people's shelves)
lit-crit (on 2 people's shelves)
translated (on 1 person's shelf)
read-parts-for-school-need-to-finis (on 1 person's shelf)
More shelves...
currently-reading (on 5 people's shelves)
theory (on 4 people's shelves)
philosophy (on 3 people's shelves)
criticism (on 3 people's shelves)
work (on 2 people's shelves)
literary-theory (on 2 people's shelves)
lit-crit (on 2 people's shelves)
translated (on 1 person's shelf)
read-parts-for-school-need-to-finis (on 1 person's shelf)
More shelves...
