Description
THE AUTHOR'S LEXICON
Book Summary
This volume, unpublished in Spanish, offers a detailed record of the seminar Roland Barthes held between 1973 and 1974, an intellectual laboratory where the author rehearsed the book about himself that would later become Roland Barthes by Roland Barthes. The reader gains access to the creative process of one of the most influential thinkers of French Theory, witnessing the gestation of an autobiographical and self-critical project that redefined his own work. A unique testimony on writing, the author, and the construction of the self.
What is it about?
In 1972, Roland Barthes received a publishing proposal that unsettled him: to write a book about himself. What began as a commission turned into a fascinating intellectual problem. To address it, Barthes made the project the core of his seminar at the École pratique des hautes études during the 1973-1974 academic year. There, alongside about fifteen students, he explored the difficulties and possibilities of speaking about oneself through literary theory. The Author's Lexicon collects that collective dialogue, where concepts were tested, fragments were discussed, and the act of writing about the author himself was dissected. This seminal material would lead to Roland Barthes by Roland Barthes, a pivotal work that marked a turning point in his career.
Main themes
- Autobiography and self-criticism as intellectual exercises.
- The construction of the subject in theoretical and literary writing.
- The creative process and the gestation of a work within a seminar setting.
- The relationship between the author, the work, and criticism in the context of French Theory.
- Language as a tool for exploring the self.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers interested in literary theory, cultural criticism, and contemporary thought. It is especially relevant for those who follow Roland Barthes's work and wish to understand the process behind one of his most personal texts. It will also be of great value to students and scholars of literature, philosophy, and the social sciences who want to explore the intellectual methodology of a key 20th-century author.
What this book offers
- Access to unpublished material from a crucial seminar in Barthes's career.
- Understanding of the creative process that led to the publication of Roland Barthes by Roland Barthes.
- A unique perspective on self-criticism and autobiography as theoretical practices.
- The opportunity to follow the live thought process of one of the great French essayists.
Technical specifications
- Author: Barthes, Roland
- Publisher: Eterna Cadencia Editora SRL, CUIT
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: Literary essays, Literature: history and criticism
- Collection: Essay
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: September 2023
- Number of pages: 498
- Weight: 400 g
Editorial assessment
This is an essential publication for followers of Roland Barthes and for those interested in the intricacies of intellectual production. The value of the book lies in its nature as direct testimony of a theoretical creation process, offering a privileged look at the gestation of a work that marked a turning point in the author's trajectory. Its focus on the seminar as a space for collective thought makes it an enriching read for both specialists and curious readers who wish to delve into the kitchen of literary theory.