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aramintapdf's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
surprisingly funny??
rodrigoparis's review against another edition
3.0
Barthes lives in a myth, portraying it into a world that looses meaning. This book is a desperate cry for the creation of secular meaning, he fails at this, not only through his "myths" but also though a very constrictive conception of semiotics.
Language may be dynamic and alive in myth but once Barthes grabs it, it dies of sorrow.
Language may be dynamic and alive in myth but once Barthes grabs it, it dies of sorrow.
mirivii's review against another edition
Barthes would have made it big on twitter.
margarete's review against another edition
4.0
took me entirely too long to finish this, but i finally did so. incisive and compelling, i’m left thinking about the correlation between history and societal norms, how my beloved discipline can place unrealities on a pedestal, and how we may aim to disentangle the stories we tell ourselves in order to live. onward to eiffel tower & other mythologies!
my favorite essays:
the writer on vacation
novels and children
ornamental cuisine
neither/nor criticism
striptease
lost continent
my favorite essays:
the writer on vacation
novels and children
ornamental cuisine
neither/nor criticism
striptease
lost continent
ekster_alven's review against another edition
5.0
Dit lezen is als een mes dat door boter snijdt. Beknopt, diepgaand. Heerlijk.
schopenhauers_poodle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
A classic though a bit dated in parts and probably no longer revolutionary to anyone who has been exposed to semiotics and foundational philosophical concepts. "Mythologies" is concerned with the system of signs which are hidden in plain sight from us and used by the bourgeoisie to maintain social order. It is no easy feat to translate into English the kind of academic French flourishes and prose that Barthes employs and no doubt the density of the writing makes for a slow read unlike Foucault who is much more accessible. My suggestion is to read each essay at least twice and have a dictionary at hand. (It will also help if you have some familiarity with French, German, and Latin.)
Despite the denseness of his writing each of the essays are compact and succinct enough to not make the act of reading them feel torturous. In fact, Barthes' powers of observation and astute analysis are paired with a dry wit that at times had me chuckling and smiling to myself. Some of my favorite essays were "In the Ring," "Dominici," "Toys," "Wine and Milk," "The Man in the Street on Strike," "Plastic," and "A Few Words from Monsieur Poujade."
Despite the denseness of his writing each of the essays are compact and succinct enough to not make the act of reading them feel torturous. In fact, Barthes' powers of observation and astute analysis are paired with a dry wit that at times had me chuckling and smiling to myself. Some of my favorite essays were "In the Ring," "Dominici," "Toys," "Wine and Milk," "The Man in the Street on Strike," "Plastic," and "A Few Words from Monsieur Poujade."