The Grain of the Voice

"As a first introduction to the work of Roland Barthes, The Grain of the Voice could not be bettered. Stimulated by generally intelligent questioners, Barthes here talks about the development of his thought, explains why and how he wrote his many books, and pays tribute to philosophers, linguists, novelists, poets, painters, and filmmakers who have interested and inspired him. . . . What comes across most vividly is the sheer gusto of a man who never stopped developing and changing, never stopped interacting with contemporaries of all ages and all tastes, and never stopped enjoying his intellectual activities and spiritual explorations ."—S. S. Prawer, Washington Post Book World

"Perhaps the best introduction to date on Barthes and his work."—Scott Montgomery, The Bloomsbury Review