Roland Barthes was one of the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century, but why should the reader of today, or tomorrow, be concerned with him? Martin McQuillan provides a fresh perspective on Barthes, addressing his political and institutional inheritance and considering his work as the origins of a critical cultural studies.

This stimulating study:

Provides a biographical consideration of Barthes' writing
Offers an extended reading of his 1957 text Mythologies as a text for our own time, drawing Barthes' work into a historical relation to the present
Examines his connection to what we call cultural studies
Features an annotated bibliography of Barthes' published work

Thought-provoking and insightful, Roland Barthes is essential reading for anyone who is interested in the writings of this key theorist and his continuing relevance in our post-9/11 world.

Autorentext

MARTIN MCQUILLAN is Professor of Literary Theory and Cultural Analysis and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Kingston University, UK.

Inhalt

General Editor's Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Roland Barthes, About this Book
R.B. Bio-Bibliography
Reading Roland Barthes in a Time of Terror
An Answer to the Question: What is Cultural Studies?
Notes
Annotated Bibliography
Further Reading
Index.