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Mythologies: The Complete Edition, in a New Translation Audiobook
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(4.00) - 5,515 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
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 for 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 where the virtual dominates
social interactions and advertisement defines popular culture, it is
more relevant than ever.
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"Although too centered on France, these reflections on the myths that abound in our pop culture are very interesting. Some of Barthes' observations apply to contemporary phenomenons in other countries. A necessary reading for pop culture lovers like myself :P"
— Fernando (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“[Mythologies] illustrates the beautiful generosity of Barthes’ progressive interest in the meaning (his word is signification) of practically everything around him.”
— Edward W. Said, literary theorist, author of Orientalism -
“John Lee provides superb narration…As a narrator, he is one of the most intriguing elements of this audiobook.”
— Publishers Weekly Audio Review -
[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
Mythologies Listener Reviews
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" I've been terrified of this book for years, and I've been wrong to be afraid. This is intuitive theory; easy to read, easy to understand - almost an articulation of thoughts you haven't quite fully formed. "
— Jessica, 2/3/2014 -
" Oh, my. Just read the part about soap/detergent. Such lucid tiny analyses of the particles of material stuff that make up our daily reality. "
— Rosie, 1/27/2014 -
" Barthes demonstrates the deconstruction of the cultural artifacts of everyday life, illustrating the way that power relationships are perpetuated in society. This is an important book, influential in all fields that have to do with communication and culture. "
— Linda, 1/19/2014 -
" A friend of mine bought this for my 22nd birthday. 3ish years later I finish. I love reading essays on pop culture, even if the culture is past. "
— Corinne, 12/20/2013 -
" I found that many of Barthes insights in the 1950's are very relevant today. I have never in my life enjoyed reading any type of theory as I did these essays. "
— Stacie, 12/12/2013 -
" Good, apart from the socialism. "
— Brendan, 12/12/2013 -
" Barthes dissects the bourgeoisie. These essays are absolutely amazing. "
— Lucy, 12/1/2013 -
" Wow, what a whole bunch of nothing. I could elaborate, but won't. How this got a new edition is beyond me. "
— John, 9/13/2013 -
" I read the translation version, and It's not so good. But when I tried the review from genuine version, it's nice book. "
— Maximillian, 7/19/2013 -
" Three stars and a half "
— M., 7/2/2013 -
" If you're interested in some thoughtful reading, this is a good choice. Barthes' ideas are relevant, intriguing, and very useful for literature studies. "
— StrangeBedfellows, 6/9/2013 -
" This was assigned reading for my English class and it has opened up the whole world to me. Now I am analysing everything and it is a superb existence. "
— Kate, 6/1/2013 -
" I always knew that wrestling was fake but now I know why. Awesome! "
— Angus, 3/2/2013 -
" Read about half of it and the final major essay in Fosso's Lit theory course (Fall 2010). Intersesting stuff "
— Tom, 2/4/2013 -
" I just think it's such fun to read this & Lovers Discourse. In my perfect (ha) World (in my mind) there could be people with whom you might communicate but using the language-meaning specific to a single book... "
— Xio, 1/10/2013 -
" french philosophers are my favorite because they anticipate your counter-argument, and propose a refutation even in text. "
— Meg, 1/10/2013 -
" More brilliant, interesting, readable essays...on popular culture-ish topics! Fun! "
— Jennifer, 1/8/2013 -
" i think this should be under poetry "
— Geraldine, 10/25/2012 -
" Has not aged well. Worth reading for Einstein's Brain though "
— Richard, 5/23/2012 -
" read at college so many years ago, but remember the esays on steak and chips etc.. semiotics can be fun. "
— Alan, 4/27/2012 -
" not just a theory book, a life book. barthes has revolutionized the way i view the world "
— Verbaladventure, 4/22/2012
About Roland Barthes
Roland Barthes (1915–1980) was a French literary theorist, philosopher, and critic. He influenced the development of a variety of schools of thought, including structuralism, semiotics, existentialism, social theory, Marxism, and post-structuralism. His best-known works include Writing Degree Zero, The Pleasure of the Text, and Elements of Semiology.
About John Lee
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.