Barthes: A Very Short Introduction  (English, Paperback, Culler Jonathan)

This acclaimed short study, originally published in 1983, and now thoroughly updated, elucidates the varied theoretical contributions of Roland Barthes (1915-80), the 'incomparable enlivener of the literary mind' whose lifelong fascination was with the way people make their world intelligible. He has a multi-faceted claim to fame: to some he is the structuralist who outlined a 'science of literature', and the most prominent promoter of semiology; to others he stands not for science but pleasure, espousing a theory of literature which gives the reader a creative role. This book describes the many projects, which Barthes explored and which helped to change the way we think about a range of cultural phenomena - from literature, fashion, wrestling, and advertising to notions of the self, of history, and of nature.

Salient Features

• Widely recognized as the best short book on Barthes' work and influence
• Barthes is the most 'reader-friendly' of the great French theorists of the twentieth century, and thus among the most popular.
• Jonathan Culler is highly respected and widely published in his field, and also regarded as one of the clearest writers on literary theory
• Culler's Literary Theory VSI has sold over 40,000 copies to date (26/06/01).