In this essential application of structural linguistics to the problems of literary criticism, Roland Barthes—a disciple of Saussure and one of the cardinal spokesmen of semiology—opposes both the goals and methods of classic rhetoric. He takes issue with what be sees as an excessive categorical structuring that divorces form from meaning as it approaches an overrefined univocal explication. Using Balzac's novella Sarrassine as the paradigmatic discourse, he proposes instead to "sketch the stereographic space of writing," other times described as "an iridescent exchange" or a "glistening texture of ephemeral voices." A step-by-step commentary on arbitrarily chosen lexias or short texts—a phrase, a few sentences, or as much as a paragraph rather than the traditional large masses of text—develops the metaphorical construct of the discourse itself as "the only positive hero of the story." AH textual signifiers are grouped under five major codes—Seme, Symbol, Hermeneutic enigma, proairetic Action, and cultural Reference—which interweave and intersect to produce a connotative universe. Barthes' theory of the "readerly" or self-creating, polyphonic text develops in mediations between the analyses of lexical fragments. Both the coded reading and the commentaries are as heavy as the Balzacian source itself. Barthes has brought new life to a foundering literary aesthetics with this synthesis of science and imaginative humanism, for those familiar with the terminology.
Pub Date: Sept. 9, 1974
ISBN: 0374521670
Page Count: 292
Publisher: Hill & Wang
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1974
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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