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A Lover's Discourse
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An ecstatic celebration of love and language’ Washington Post
The language we use when we are in love is not a language we speak.
'A kind of mercurial elegy. . . Some extraordinary passion leaks through Barthes' lucid prose' Peter Ackroyd, Spectator
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Description
The language we use when we are in love is not a language we speak, for it is addressed to ourselves and to our imaginary beloved. It is a language of solitude, of mythology, of what Barthes calls an image repertoire.
This work revives—beyond the psychological or clinical enterprises which have characterised such researches in our culture—the notion of the amorous subject. It should be enjoyed and understood by two groups of readers: those who have been in love (or think they have, which is the same thing), and those who have never been in love (or think they have not, which is the same thing).
In its search for authorities and examples, which range from Nietzsche to Zen, from Ruysbroek to Debussy, the book might be considered an encyclopaedia of that affirmative discourse which is the lover's.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
A Lover's Discourse by Roland Barthes is lauded for its imaginative take on love, with the lover portrayed as grappling with the inherent ambiguities of their emotions. The book is described as speculative and melancholic, delving deep into the language of anxiety and passion. Reviewers appreciate its meticulous examination of desire, highlighting its evocative portrayal of the lover's intense consciousness and praising its celebration of both love and language.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780099437420
Publisher: Vintage Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 04 July 2002
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Vintage Classics
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 17.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 197.0mm
Weight: 183g
Pages: 256
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About the Author
Roland Barthes was born in 1915 and studied French literature and classics at the University of Paris. After teaching French at universities in Romania and Egypt, he joined the Centre National de Recherche Scientifique, where he devoted himself to research in sociology and lexicology. He was a professor at the College de France until his death in 1980.
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