The Pleasure of the Text

I returned to Barthes not having read him in a long time. A graduate TA, with shaky french herself,had us reading Mythologies in the early '80's. As students working hard just to translate the text, I'm afraid we let certain funny jokes, like the fact of a frenchman discussing the meaning of french fries in America,go directly over our heads.I happened to read a review of a movie where Ben Kingsley romances college student Penelope Cruz.One detail, "She had under her arm, The Pleasure of the Text," reeled me in to order it, though I did not consider the movie any further(maybe that was wrong). I also ordered two others by Barthes. One was A Lover's Discourse: Fragments, a short, easy enjoyable read I recommend.Pleasure of the Text is a little more involved but certainly not impenetrable. I actually was finding it funnierand funnier until I got to page 9, where I laughed out loud as he talked about the "narrative" being "dismantled" in Flaubert. Maybe it was just me. On rereading it I realized it was not really a joke;I think Barthes is a little more serious here than in the french-fry book(some may say that was serious, too).In sum, definitely lovely, accessible writing. And he seems like a pretty nice guy after all these years.

Well worth the price despite its slim size. Barthes' text is rich, fractured and dense enough to warrant many brief readings. As he says in the book, and I paraphrase here, he prizes writing that often drives him away from the text to either look things up that the text has brought to his attention, or to merely reflect on the words on the page. Nearly every page will cause an engaged reader to do this very thing with Barthes.This volume made me aware of the Cuban writer Severo Sarduy, whose novel Cobra is highly praised here. Upon getting my hands on a copy (the Dalkey Press edition b/w Maitreya), I found that very quote by Barthes included in the flap copy of the book, which I also enjoy very much.Overall, a massively rewarding book for me.

Really an elegant, thoughtful and philosophical writer.If ever one needs well articulated justification for theact of writing or reading, this book delivers.It is simultaneously dense and accommodating -one can comfortably read this book in a few hoursyet contemplate its nuances for far longer.

A fun, thought-provoking read, even if I felt lost here and there.

Wonderful text. Beautiful. Excellent translation.

It is very interesting arguments about how text is pursued for pleasure. Reading Barthes' text is a bliss!!!

Nice

You can read this in 20 minutes and if you haven't read this book and you have 20 minutes, you should probably buy a copy of this.