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Mythologies

Written by: Roland Barthes, Annette Lavers - translator, Richard Howard - translator
Narrated by: John Lee
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Publisher's Summary

What is astrology? Fiction for the bourgeoisie. The Tour de France? An epic. The brain of Einstein? Knowledge reduced to a formula. Like iconic images of movie stars or the rhetoric of politicians, they are fabricated. Once isolated from the events that gave birth to them, these "mythologies" appear to be what they are: the ideology of mass culture.

When Roland Barthes's groundbreaking Mythologies first appeared in English in 1972, it was immediately recognized as one of the most significant works in French theory - yet nearly half of the essays from the original work were missing. This new edition of Mythologies is the first complete, authoritative English version of the French classic. It includes the brilliant "Astrology", never published in English before.

Mythologies is a lesson in clairvoyance. In a new century, in which the virtual dominates social interactions and advertisement defines popular culture, it is more relevant than ever.
©1957 Éditions du Seuil (P)2012 Tantor
Philosophy Social Sciences Essays Literature & Fiction World Literature
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What the critics say

" Mythologies illustrates the beautiful generosity of Barthes's progressive interest in the meaning (his word is signification) of practically everything around him." (Edward W. Said)
"Teacher, man of letters, moralist, philosopher of culture, connoisseur of strong ideas, protean autobiographer... of all the intellectual notables who have emerged since World War II in France, Roland Barthes is the one whose work I am most certain will endure." (Susan Sontag)

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French Theorists Really Really Dislike Themselves

listening to half of this text was a good reminder of why I abandoned an academic career! What I most enjoyed about it was fantasizing what Dostoevsky would have made of such a script. I think Barthes had some very good legitimate offerings... but career academics often are obliged to churn out jargon that is just simply inane. I think John Lee's voice and reading are strong; however, the performative verve/flair did start to grate on my nerves. That is my problem to deal with, not Mr. Lee's...

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